The Cold's Shards
by Shadow Strabi-star22
Summary: The memories of that fateful day continued to haunt me, the pain I suffered from seeing her dead body cut me like shards as I isolated myself behind a wall of ice. While trying to keep others at bay I searched for the answers and only one person from the past holds the key. I have abandoned all my emotions except anger, sadness and emptiness. Will I give love another chance? Yuri.
1. Prologue

**A/N** : I guess this story would be my first actual ACTUAL Yuri story; the others probably hinted at a girlxgirl theme but the theme wasn't heavily...emphasized or implied(to my knowledge at least). Anyways please enjoy, _The Cold's Shards_ begins now.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner(s).

 **Warning** : This will be a yuri fic, you have been warned.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _3 years ago..._

"Iliya-sama!" A young maiden smiled as I greeted her by the gate with eagerness. Even though she was 3 years my senior I always waited for her outside the front gate since our schools were about a block away from each other...that and our moms were really great friends.

"Who's this cutie Iliya? Your sister?" A student asked.

"It's Kurisu Naiteu from that middle school down the street. Hi Naiteu-chan, how are you today?" Another student replied as I shyly waved at her.

"That cute middle school kid again? What a diligent, polite child. Her mother taught her right."

"She's always waiting outside the gate everyday huh? Don't you think it's a little bit stalker-ish?"

"I think it's cute when you have a younger kid following you."

"Look at you Kurisu, you sure are famous around here." I looked up as Iliya stood before me, resting a hand on my head as we watched the other students leave the school grounds. "You're making me jealous."

"What would you like me to do about it?" I said as she waved goodbye to a few friends. "Stop coming to see you? Because I might just do that if this is how you are planning to greet me."

"You wouldn't dare would you? I'll be sad and lonely." She threw me a small pout, adding a little bit of a whimper to it. "I'll even have to walk home by my lonesome self."

 _Siiigh...she's playing the same 'guilt trip' game my mother does. Now that I look at it, she probably learned it from her too._ I pinched the bridge of my nose before smiling. _But whatever, she's Iliya-sama after all..._ "All right I get it, I get it so don't give me that look. Besides...you have the same effect whenever you come to my school. All of my other friends love you to death."

"Aww, that's so sweet of them! Do tell them I love them as well." She laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to her side. "C'mon! There's this karaoke bar that just opened and I want to take a look before we go back."

"Oh no you don't..." I grabbed her arm before she could dash off, holding her in place. "You know how your grandmother doesn't approve...uh...underage drinking. Your toleration level for alcohol is laughably nonexistent and I'm not going to carry you back home since you tend to puke everywhere."

"Poo, you made a good point. I do tend to be a wreck after one shot." She deflated instantly before nodding her head with agreement. "You're right, no drinking today. Let's just kick off the weekend with a nice bath instead."

"And then we can wrap up the night with a patrol around the park. Since you know...it's part of your club activity."

"Hahaha. You know me so well." She grinned.

"That's because I hang out with you a little too much." I retorted and we laughed as we started to walk home. _Iliya-sama has always attracted the attention of others but she acted humble most of the time, which is probably why she's so popular. Her lush golden hair gave her a radiant glow like a goddess while my hair in comparison-dark blue with silver streaks, an unusual combination-gave me a mysterious vibe._

"Hang on, I need to pick something up from my home." She told me when we reached an intersection and ran off in the other direction. "It won't take long okay? Let your mother know I'm coming." My mother adored Iliya-sama and always loved it whenever she came over to play with me. She viewed her like an older sister more than a baby sitter. After informing my mother that a guest would be coming over once I got home I bolted upstairs to get the bath ready. Iliya came over just like she said a few minutes later, walking right into my mother's warm embrace.

"Honey! Iliya's here." My mother yelled before disappearing into the kitchen to get dinner ready. I was already inside the warm bath when I heard my senpai rapped her knuckles three times against the door.

"Come in." I said from the bath and watched as she walked in with nothing but a towel around her body.

"Oh yeah, this hits the spot." She smiled as she drop the towel on the floor and slid into the water behind me, releasing a sigh as the warm water lapped over her exposed skin. With a mischievous glint in my eyes I waited for her to get comfortable before splashing her, giggling as she glared at me from behind her wet hair. We got into a small water fight which ended when my mother yelled that dinner was ready. Hurrying out of the tub and putting on some clean clothes we entered the dining room to see my parents waiting with smiles on their faces.

"Brrr...the nights sure are cold." Iliya mused, wrapping her coat around her body and tucking a piece of golden hair behind her ear. After helping my parents wash the dishes, we hurried out the door just in time for patrolling the local park. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

"It's a wonder you haven't gotten ill after spending a few hours outside with those thin layers." I shook my head as we found a nice comfortable place to rest, right underneath a tree. We sat silently next to one another, staring out at the city lights. "Peaceful isn't it?"

"It is...Oh! That's right, I wanted to give you this." She rummaged around her coat pocket and held up a silver necklace. "Ta-da! My mother bought this from some shop and since it was so...uh...plain, I decided to change it up a bit. Hope you like it." I held out my hand, watching the object fall into my palm and looked at it with curiosity. On one side my name was etched in and hers was on the other.

"It's beautiful." I whispered as she helped me put it on. "Thanks."

"No problem...by the way, have you decided on which high school you're going to attend?" She asked me as we laid back on the grass to watch the stars above us instead of the city. "You only have a year left. Time flies fast ya know."

"I know, I know. My mother's been pestering me about it since the beginning of this year." I replied before turning my head to the side to face her. "I was wondering...I could attend your school if I wished right? This way we could spent a lot more time together."

"You want to attend Mikagura Academy?" She quirked an eyebrow at me before mulling the idea over for a minute. "Mmmm, well if you do attend then you must join my club for sure. No excuses and no exceptions."

"The Night Patrol Club? Who wouldn't?" I teased her. "I heard it's one of the famous clubs right?"

"No doubt about that. Of course some of the teachers have complained and told me to cut back the hours after some of the members continuously fell asleep during classes." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Truth be told, I also fall asleep during my lectures so I've been on the receiving end."

"You also tend to drool when your sleep...a lot. It's like Niagara Falls but on a miniature scale."

"No I don't! You must be mistaken for someone else." She puffed up her cheeks indignantly and turned away with a humph. "Naiteu-chan you meanie."

"By the way, what's in that box?" I asked, pointing to a case laying on the grass next to her.

"Well since it is a beautiful night, I definitely made the right decision to bring this thing." She said, sitting up to unclasp the locks and held up the instrument, a gold trumpet. "Do you have any request for me?"'

"Play that one." I said, resting my head upon her lap. "You know...that song."

"Again?" She looked at me funny. "You've always asked for the same one ever since we met. This is probably the millionth request."

"Pwease?! You know that song is only for us and no one else." I gave her my best big doe eyes and added the trembling lips to boot. Closing her eyes with defeat, Iliya smirked and began to play her rendition of Amazing Grace. The music was pure, strong and extraordinarily moving, just like how I remembered it when we first met. Smiling, I made myself a little more comfortable and allowed her music to lull me to sleep. Little did I know that that little park memory would be the last time I would ever hear her play.

 _Hmm...she's asleep._ Some time after the music ended, Iliya watched me sleep and gently brushed my hair out of my face with her fingers. _Bingo! This is a good opportunity to do...that. Heehee._ Rummaging around her bag, she took out a camera and took a quick picture. _Perfect!_ She looked at the picture with a smile. _I love you Naiteu-chan._

* * *

 _The day before the finals..._

WEEEE-OOOOO! WEEEE-OOOO! WEEEE-OOOO!

"Kyaaa! Look at the blood!"

"How horrible!"

"She fell from up there!? That's absurd!"

"Where were the teachers?"

"Hmm? What's going on today? Why are there a lot of noises?" I paused to see a bunch of students gathered around in the lawn with upset expressions on their faces. There were red and blue lights flashing and sirens wailing by the time I got to the front gate. I got out of school early and decided to stop by the bakery to order some of my favorite snacks so that I could share with my favorite person.

"How tragic, she died upon impact." An officer was saying as others rushed around to keep the students from taking pictures or getting close to the corpse. "She was fairly young. It's always tragic for someone like her to leave so soon."

"Oh wow, something big must have happened." I said as a lot of students were blocking my path. "E-Excuse me then..." Taking a deep breath, I started to squeeze between the bodies to get to the front. "Sorry! Pardon me! Let me through!" As I finally got through, I noticed the taped off region and a lot of cops and medical personals running around.

"Stay back if you would please. This area is off limit until we finish our investigation." An officer was saying as I got closer to the tape. "Kid, it's best if you don't see it." That's when I saw what they were trying to shield from the public eye...the disfigured corpse laying underneath the cover on the ground with a puddle of blood surrounding it. The lush golden locks that were once filled with life were now limp and messy. The items in my hands crashed to the ground as I stood there trembling. Taking one painful step at a time once I cleared the tape, I ended up beside the covered body and, shakily pulled back the cover to see who it was although I knew deep down it was her.

"Naiteu-chan." A soft voice that belonged to her friend spoke gently behind me but I continued to stare at her bloodied face and wide-eyed expression. Hands gripped my shoulders and dragged me away from her and I gripped the student's clothes tightly as the police pulled the covers back over the corpse. "Shhhh. Shhh." Hands ran through my hair soothingly as I balled my eyes out, drenching her clothes with tears. "It's okay. It's okay. The officer said she didn't suffer long."

"T-That...d-d-doesn't...m-make me...feel...a-any...better..." I spoke before movement caught my eye, a boy disappearing behind the school building. "Uhm...I-I'm fine...I just need...to use the restroom." Excusing myself, I hurried after the student before I lost the trail, wiping my face with my sleeve. Finally I ended up near one of the dormitories and wandered around with confusion. "Weird...I'm certain that he came this way..."

"The mission has been accomplished ma'am." A boy's voice reached my ears and as I peeked from behind the wall, I noticed the student I was looking for with a phone near his ear. "No one ever suspected you or your brilliant plan."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Another voice that I couldn't make out flowed out of the phone, sounded like a female's. "It's no surprise that she'd take the bait. All I needed was some reliable sources, people and a fool-proof plan. Nothing to it."

"Heehee, you are such a sly woman." The boy chuckled. "I'm surprised that she was gullible enough to follow me to the rooftop and when the time came...whoosh! She fell so easily like a rock in water. Man, I wish I was there to see her go splat on the concrete!"

"Hmph." The voice behind the phone snorted with displeasure. "Stop gloating. She's dead and that's all that I care about."

"Now there's no one else powerful than you on this campus. You have this entire school wrapped around your finger." The boy smiled.

 _I-I have to get out of here..._ I covered my mouth with both hands to hold back a cry of grief. As I crawled on my hands and knees back to the bush, my shoe accidentally kicked an empty soda can and it bounced along the ground loudly. _Oh crap...!_

"What was that?" The boy paused and looked around wearily. He stepped out to survey the area, spotted the can and lifted the phone back up to his ear. "Sorry, it was nothing important, just a soda can some student left behind. Now then...back to my prior assignment..."

 _Iliya-sama...was killed..._ My mind was on overdrive as I sat in the bushes, trying to process the information as the boy went back to his phone call. _Iliya-sama...was killed...she's dead...she's dead._ Gathering up my wits I went back to the front gate and ran home as fast as my legs could carry me, slamming the door shut abruptly. My mother, startled by the suddenly noise, came out of the kitchen to see what was the matter only to fall back as I rushed at her, wrapping my arms around her.

"Honey, what's wrong?!" She asked as I clung to her like my life depended on it. "You look like a mess...you didn't see a ghost did you?" I mumbled something inaudible, prompting her to ask me to repeat what I said.

"Iliya-sama...is...dead..." I repeated a bit louder. My mother tensed up at the news and hugged me tighter. Iliya was like a second daughter to her so her death was a heavy blow to us. We sat in the hallway in silence until father came home and he pulled us into a bigger hug, saddened by the loss. Dinner was unusually quiet and we all went to bed early. I didn't sleep well that night anyway.

* * *

 _Present time (3 years later)..._

It's been 3 years since she past away...my golden-haired goddess and best friend in the world. Now that I finished up my second year at the Academy and was about to start my 3rd year, I've tried to get to the bottom of her case, to figure out why she died. The school board said that she committed suicide and that it was an accident but...they didn't know the real truth. To make it even worse, they dismissed it as an unsolvable case and forbid anyone to talk about it ever again. As time continued, they soon forgot about her and got on with their lives but...I could never forget...will never forget what happened.

"Tch...if only I was there...I could've prevented her death..." I laid on my bed with silence, staring at the only possession she left for me, a silver necklace that had my name etched on the front and hers on the back. I stared at her name fondly, running my thumb over it when the chime of the bell tower caught my attention. Throwing off the covers, grabbing my jacket and putting on my shoes, I quietly rose from the bed. Undoing the latches of the window I slipped out without disturbing my roommates, putting the hood up over my head. "It's time for me to do my part time job, as the only member of the once famous Night Patrol Club."


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome new students

**A/N** : Chapter 1 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Warning: This is a yuri themed story, you have been warned.

SriaLghtft: Yes it was my OC in the beginning and Otone hasn't been introduced yet, sorry if it wasn't written clearly.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Welcome new students**

 _The next morning..._

"...su! ...risu! Kurisu!"

 _Hmm...someone's calling me..._

"Are you playing deaf with me?! Wake up damn it!"

 _Ugh...So noisy...someone please...shut this person...up._

"...okay then. Don't blame me for what's going to happen next."

BAM!

"Ow." I spoke, gripping my head where there was a huge lump starting to sprout out of it. "What was that for?" I glared at the person who woke me up, a fellow junior that probably was a member of some club that I was not interested in remembering.

"You should be thanking me, it's the fifth time you fell asleep during class." She frowned before shaking out her hand with pain. "And ow...is your skull made out of bricks or something?"

"I do have a hard head so yeah, it just may be made out of bricks." I retorted, hitting my own head with a knuckle. Looking around I noticed that it was empty except for the two of us. "Hmm...I guess class is over huh?"

"Geez I don't understand you." The junior commented as I packed my things. "You sleep through class, get on Narumi-sensei's nerves because you don't pay attention and yet you can still manage to pass. It's a wonder she hasn't dropped you from the class yet."

"I bet Sensei was really mad at me this time." I said, shouldering my bag and went to the door. Kurumi Narumi was part of the teaching staff at school. Her gray hair was always tied into a ponytail and she wears a green-white frilly headband. Her viridian colored eyes were always sharp but her words were sharper and filled with sarcasm. Based on the attire she always wore, a white and gray uniform with a green apron, I would assume she was also somebody's maid. "I had this feeling that she wasn't in her usual mood."

"Oh you bet your ass she wasn't." The junior griped when we left the classroom, her voice started to get on my nerves. "No matter how many things she threw your way you dodged them even while asleep. She finally gave up on you after awhile and continued teaching like she always does."

 _She still gave me a bunch of crap...and on a day where I have to patrol...that woman..._ I sighed as I noticed how heavy my bag was. "Well, thanks again."

"Don't bother thanking me." She replied with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "Next time I'll just leave you in the classroom by yourself."

"I'll take your word then." Waving my hand dismissively I trudged back to my dorm room, my heavy backpack was already making my back hurt. "Gosh darn it...Kurumi didn't have to punish me like this." Fumbling around for my key I unlocked the door and walked in, totally not expecting to see guests.

"Look who finally decided to show up."

"It's Puppy-chan!"

"Tch. What are you guys doing here? And please get rid of that ridiculous nickname Nyamirin, it's embarrassing." I said, closing the door shut behind me before I greeted my guests; two members of the Drama Club, the art representative of the Art club, the representative of the Flower Arranging Club and the honor student of the Calligraphy Club. My room felt small with all of these people. "Also how did you manage to get into my room without going through the front door?"

"Heheh...nothing can get passed my pick-locking skills, nyan~" Nyamirin said with a grin. She was a third-year like me. She was a tall busty girl that wore a beige cat cap over her dark blonde hair, a dark cardigan with a pink blouse underneath, a red tie, a white skirt with a pink trim and brown boots. She also wears a cat tail accessory and a scrunchie on her left wrist. "And besides, I think 'Puppy-chan' fits you perfectly. Just look at your ears." She sauntered over and started to play with my wolf-like ears that were poking out of the slits in my hood. Ever since I realized that I grew ears and a tail whenever I battled I cut slits in my hood for my ears. The weird thing is, my ears would appear whenever they liked but my tail couldn't thus I was saved from the embarrassment of cutting a hole in my pants.

"I'm not a dog though." I mumbled, putting my backpack down as she continued to stroke my ears.

"That remains to be seen." A young man with messy blonde hair commented. He was a third-year student and the representative of the Art Club who goes by the name Kyoma Kuzuryu. He had paint splattered on his cheeks and uniform as the effect of his ability Palette Bullet. "You do exhibit some traits that a dog does."

"Like what?" I prompted, hoping that he could elaborate more but he didn't bite the bait.

"C'mon you guys. We didn't come here to talk about Puppy-chan's traits." Nyamirin said after she was done playing with my ears. "We came here to tell her that she had to participate in the welcoming ceremony for the freshmen."

 _Siiigh...just my luck..._ I scowled with displeasure, pinching the bridge of my nose with irritation. I have to participate in the welcoming committee.

"I'm sure all of the first years will adore you." Kyoma said. "Well if you weren't so...cold and...isolated yourself in your room most of the time."

"Whoopie." I replied sarcastically. "Well I'd love to help," I applied heavy HEAVY emphasize on the word 'love'. "but have you seen how much work I have to do?" They all looked at the backpack simultaneously, noticing that the poor thing was about to burst its seams.

"Let me guess, you fell asleep in class again." Himi said with a nod of her head. She was a petite girl with short, straight bobbed black hair. As the honor student and representative of the Calligraphy Club, she wore white robes, black hakama, zori and a big necklace. With her energetic, cheerful and cute personality she could be mistaken as a little kid but she has a great sense of responsibility. Her ability is Lovely Ink.

"Yeeeeaah...and I also have patrol to do tonight." I scratched my head with disbelief. Dumping all of the items out of my bag I arranged them on my desk and started to plan out my night. "Sooo much work...ugh..."

"Well I don't see what's the fuss is all about." I turned my attention to the sole representative of the Flower Arranging Club. Sadamatsu Minatogawa, a second-year representative sat on the floor, a pair of scissors in his hand. His pale golden hair was short like his haori and unlike Himi, he wears yellow-green geta instead of zori. Selfish Flower is the name of his ability and in my opinion...it suits him perfectly.

"Didn't you hear me?" I looked at him with a frown on my face. "I got a lot of work to do and my patr-are you listening?"

"Yes, I'm listening...well no, I'm actually not..." He replied, growing a flower right in the middle of my room and started to arrange it absentmindedly.

"Anyways, we're here because the headmistress ordered you to participate this year." Second-year Drama Club representative Yuto Akama informed me. He is a young man with a slight tan and brown hair whose bangs covered his left eye. He wears a jacket, brown shirt, black and white striped pants, and brown boots instead of the standard winter uniform. To accompany his animal motif as a member of the drama club, he wears a panther-printed hat with protruded ears. Whenever he takes off his hat he puts on a black clip on the left side of his hair. His ability is called Coup d'Etat.

"The headmistress sent you guys here?" I looked outside my window for a minute. "What a pain..." The headmistress's orders were absolute so me getting orders by her shoves everything out of the way...it's quite stressful.

"Oh. The opening ceremony starts in 15 minutes." Kyoma looked at his watch. "We need to go now and prepare."

 _Guess I can't get out of this..._ I inwardly sighed, followed everyone out and closed my door shut before locking it.

* * *

 _Outside in the school yard..._

"Wow!" A young girl gasped in excitement as she stood alongside all of her fellow freshmen. She had long orange-pink hair that was tied into a bun on the left side with a red bandanna. She also had a yellow scarf wrapped around her neck. There was a huge banner that said, "Welcoming Party for the Freshmen" or something along that line flying proudly by the front entrance. "What...What is this?!" She exclaimed as the representatives of different clubs were having a mock battle on top of a stage in the middle of the lawn.

"Oh! It's a party to welcome the new students Eruna." Another student who happens to be her cousin, Shigure explained as he stood beside her to watch the show. His slightly long silver hair was messily tied back into a ponytail and he had a dark blue and a white barrette clipped on the right side of his hair.

"One of the distinguishing features of this school is that all students must belong to a club, ryui." A winged-cat flew down to join them. He had brown and white fur with purple eyes.

"These are clubs?" Eruna watched as a lotus flower appeared from the stage floor, opening up its petals to reveal Sadamatsu, looking as calm as always. With just a wave of his hands he caused nearby sakura trees to blossom, transforming the campus into a beautiful wonderland of pink.

"It might be best to explain about Mikagura Academy's special system—the club battles." Shigure smiled.

"Battles between clubs occur regularly, and clubs are ranked based on the results of those battles. If you are part of a strong club with a high rank, you get preference for nice, large dorm rooms and you'll get better food, too, ryui!"

"Really? I'm not sure what's going on...but it's like a festival! It looks fun!" Eruna clenched her hands into fists as she anxiously watched the battles.

"Hey, are you feeling a slight chill?"

"That's weird, it's springtime but it feels like winter."

"Hmm?"

"Who's that?" The first years whispered among themselves as I appeared on the battle stage, my face hidden by the hood over my head. Placing both palms against the stage I summoned columns of ice into the air, the sunlight gleamed as the ice crystals reflected the light. Suddenly ice arrows started to rain down upon the audience without warning. Some of the freshmen screamed, afraid of being impaled but I controlled my power with confidence, angling and changing the directions of the arrows before sending them back up into the air where they collided with each other, showering the crowd with light snow.

"Hey, hey. Who was that mysterious person Bimii?" Eruna pestered him as I walked off the ice-covered battle stage, disappearing out of sight as the students indulged themselves with the sprinkle of snow. "She looks strong."

"That was Kurisu Naiteu-sama, ryui." The winged-cat explained, his fluffy tail twitching back and forth with amusement. "She's a third-year here...Eruna you are drooling, ryui."

"Oh." She quickly wiped the saliva with the back of her hand and glanced at it with a frown. "Thanks for the catch."

"Ahhh~ the one known as 'Silver Wolf' correct? I'm actually surprised she decided to participate this time during the day, the headmistress must've had a hand in it." Shigure said with a nod of the head. Pulling out a notebook from his back pocket, he started to read off facts about me. "She stands 169 centimeters tall. Her favorite outfit consist of a silver trimmed, sleeveless black long coat with a white collared shirt tucked underneath. I know the school tries to keep up with dress code but she preferred black combat shoes instead of the usual dress shoes. Nothing else is known about her since she tends to elude most of my interviews."

"And she abhors skirts so she opted to wear baggy pants instead, ryui." Bimii added. "Some of the board of directors had misgivings about the dress code but the headmistress didn't mind as long as she continued coming to school."

"I think she wears baggy pants because since she constantly gives off a cold vibe, she has to have some why of retaining her heat." Shigure commented.

"Actually I think she just wears pants because she hates skits, ryui." Bimii said.

"She's a third-year, just like you huh Shigure." Eruna thought to herself before an idea popped into her mind. "Have you ever tried to get her to be your girlfriend yet?"

"Oh no, she's not to be messed with." Her cousin waved his hands wildly in front of his face with protest. "There's reasons to why her nickname is 'Silver Wolf' and besides...I got you Eruna-chan~!"

"Ew, gross. I think I'll pass on that offer." She commented dryly before turning to Bimii. "Anyways, do you know what that ice attack was?"

"It's thanks to her ability ryui." The winged-cat explained. "Some of the gifted ones here have certain abilities and her ability is called Absolute Zero, ryui." Bimii said.

"Absolute Zero?" Eruna looked at him with a confused manner, prompting him to explain.

"That attack you witnessed was her famous Ice Age ryui. Anyone who fought against her fell victim to that attack almost instantly but there had been the lucky few who managed to dodge it on the first try. Of course she-"

"That's enough out of you Sensei." The two of them tensed up as I stood behind them, the coldness that radiated off my body was enough to give anyone standing about a 1 mile radius goosebumps. "Telling strangers facts about others is a kind of like a violation to privacy is it not?"

"...Ahahaha...good day Naiteu-san...ryui." Bimii said nervously, his fluffy tail twitched back and forth. "I was telling the new students...um...how cool you were..."

"And you..." I turned my attention to Shigure who was hastily stuffing his book back into his pocket. "...get rid of that dirty notebook."

"What?! When you have these many beautiful ladies wandering around how does one keep track of them all?" He shrugged his shoulders comically. "It's simply a travesty if I can't write down facts in my handy-dandy notebook."

"Hmph. I would expect nothing more out of the representative of the Manga Research Society." I then turned my attention to the younger of the three. "And you are?"

"I-I'm Eruna Ichnomiya!" She responded with enthusiasm, her teeth chattered due to the cold. "Nice to meet you Senpai!"

 _What a bright personality she has...for a freshman. It's kind of...contagious._ I could feel the corners of my mouth twitching slightly as she beamed up at me with a smile. _However..._ My frown turned into a thin line when I noticed drool forming near her mouth. _She's a peculiar one at most._ "You're drooling."

"N-Not again." She wiped her mouth with mild frustration. "I-I'm sorry Senpai."

"No it's okay. Well then, I shall bid you...farewell." Taking my leave I walked away into the crowds and vanished back to my dorm because of the massive amount of work that waited for me. The moment I disappeared the temperature went back to normal and Eruna continued on her tour of the school with Bimii, Shigure was no where to be found but he was probably flirting with the new students.

"Oh before I forget Eruna, "Bimii rummaged around and pulled out what looked like a cell phone. "This is an original device distributed to all the students, ryui. You can even do your shopping on this, ryui. Points are distributed based on the results of the club battles, so everything is taken care of with that."

"What?" She started to bounced up and down on the balls of her feet with excitement. "What's with that dream-like system?!"

"This is the girls' dorm where you will be sleeping every day from now on, ryui." Bimii said as he guided her towards one of the many red brick buildings that littered the school grounds.

"Girls' dorm!?" Immediately the girl's mind flashed into a dream-like state as she imagined herself with one of her Dating Sims games and a huge blush appeared on her face.

"Yoo-hoo, Teach!" Himi shouted as she ran up to them with her giant calligraphy brush over her shoulder. "What are you doing in a place like this? Are you playing at being a dad who doesn't want to go straight home after work?"

"So small and cute!" Eruna squealed, rushing over and lifting the petite girl off the ground. "Do you want to live together? Under one roof? C'mon, I'll feed you carrots every day!"

"I'm not a rabbit!" Himi complained as she flapped her arms wildly in the air like a bird. "And I hate carrots! And I'm not small!"

"She's the president of the calligraphy club, Himi Yasaka, ryui." Bimii introduced the two of them.

"Nice to meet you, Himi! I hope I can meet you more than necessary!" Eruna said politely.

"Himi, it looks like Eruna's been assigned to the dorm." Bimii said.

"Oh, in that case I'll show you to your room!" Cheerfully Himi led them inside and up the flight of stairs. "This is your room, Eruna!"

"Huh? Room?" She questioned as she looked at the opened purple sleeping bag laying on the floor. "My room is a sleeping bag?"

"If you aren't in a club, then you don't have a room, ryui." Bimii explained.

"What?!" Eruna looked at him in shock.

"But don't worry. That sleeping bag is really warm." Himi said with a smile.

"Even if my body is warm, my heart feels like it'll freeze." The first year commented dramatically. "And look, there's a sleeping bag over there with something shivering inside." She pointed to an orange sleeping bag which emitted sounds of whimpering.

"I want to go home...I want to go home..." A voice spoke though it was kind of muffled by the bag.

"Yoo-hoo, come out!" Hime delicately walked over and prodded the bag with a finger. "Won't you join the calligraphy club that I'm in? You can have a large private room and delicious food!" The bag visibly twitched and the zipper was slowly pulled down to reveal the female occupant.

"U-Um...Is it really all right for someone like me to join the calligraphy club?" She asked, peeking out from within the sleeping bag with her two red eyes. Her light pink hair was styled in three-tails tucked by small red ribbons. She looked nervous and a bit shy talking to the new comers. "I am just a beginner."

"Hello, hello!" Eruna, barely able to contain herself, jumped at the chance to befriend her. "I want to join the calligraphy club, too!"

"Hmm, okay. Then...why don't I have you two take a simple test to join?" Eager to see potentially two new recruits for her club, Himi decided to test them over their calligraphy writing skills and it could be any character they wanted to write. In the end, the shy girl was accepted into Himi's club and Eruna...well she didn't get accepted unfortunately.

"Well, I'll return to my room now ryui." Bimii announced after seeing a crest-fallen Eruna get rejected by Himi because of her horrible calligraphy skill. "I'll see you tomorrow ryui." She just stood there, mouth opened but nothing coming out as the cat flew off. Seeing as there was nothing she could do she just decided to call it a night.

"I'm hungry...and I want to take...a shower..." Eruna sulked as she sat inside her sleeping bag, her stomach grumbling with agreement. Slowly a smile spread across her face and she grinned. "But it seems like things will get fun."

* * *

 _That night..._

The clock tower struck 12 midnight and I slipped out of my room for the patrol at the usual place. After the morning ceremony I isolated myself in my room and only left to get food or use the restroom. I managed to finish most if not all of the work Narumi-sensei piled on me but it was still a pain in the rear end.

 _If this continues I might become a workaholic._ I sighed, scratching my head because I felt a headache coming up. _Anyways, this park hasn't changed since 3 years ago._ Plodding around the playground I inhaled deeply and grinned as the rich cold air rushed into my lungs, it made me feel alive on the inside. After patrolling and finding nothing out of the ordinary, I found myself underneath a tree, the same tree from back then.

"The lights from the city are beautiful tonight." I mused, resting up against the trunk. "But..." I paused for a minute. "...it's not as beautiful as when you where beside me...Iliya-sama." I gazed up at the stars, watching them with the hope of seeing a shooting star but for now I felt serene...and slightly calm. Getting up after what felt like an hour, I trudged back to the school and returned to my room via the window. Huddling underneath my blanket I pulled out a small tape recorder, a gift Iliya gave to me from who knows when.

 _This was actually given to me by Iliya-sama's grandmother, something she found while rummaging through her room._ I thought as I plugged in my headphones. Let's see what it contains. I pressed the play button and soon found myself being lulled to sleep with the sound of her trumpet playing Amazing Grace flowing through my ears.


	3. Chapter 2: After school stride

**A/N** : Chapter 2 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

 **Warning** : This is a yuri themed story, you have been warned.

Special thanks to those who reviewed as well as Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: After school stride**

 _The next morning..._

"Uugh...I'm hungry..." Eruna complained as she trudged through the open hallways, rubbing one hand over her grumbling stomach.

"In any case, you should visit different clubs. When you find one you like, you can join for a trial period. Ryui~" Bimii advised her as he flapped his wings effortlessly. A sudden yelped directed their attention to the open courtyard. A young boy with teal hair and turquoise streaks on the right side, was currently sitting on his butt looking up at another student with fright. His stature was small and he is said to have a high voice like a girl. Apparently his eyes are quite unusual since they have star-shaped irises. Apart from the standard winter school uniform, he also sported a teal tie, matching earmuffs and boots.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He continued to apologized, almost on the verge of tears.

"Why do you look like you're about to cry." Kyoma asked, his brows furrowed with mild annoyance. "It makes me look like I'm bullying you."

"Th-That's not what I'm trying to do..."

"That's Kyoma Kuzuryu-kun from the Art club." Bimii whispered as the two of them watched from the side lines. "The one apologizing is Asuhi Imizu-kun from the Astronomy club."

"Look." Kyoma said as he glanced at the crowd that formed within seconds. "Thanks to you, we're the center of attention, you girly rookie."

"That's not it." Asuhi said as he picked up what looked like a telescope off the ground and stood up. "I just wanted to apologize for bumping into you."

"Will you leave things at that?" A voice spoke up and the crowd parted to let the speaker through. Eruna gasped when she recognized the girl as the model from the magazine she read back at home. Her heart was beating fast inside her chest. The said girl had long black hair reaching her back, with a red braid attached to a lock of her hair on the left side. She wears the standard winter uniform with a skirt on the lower-left side, black garter belts, thigh-high black stockings, and brown school shoes. "Kuzuryu-san, it's not something to get so worked up about, is it?"

"Worked up?" The third-year tilted his head in confusion at the girl. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just talking to him." Turning his back and letting out a long huff, he walked away without looking back.

"Are you alright?" The girl turned her attention towards Asuhi with a soft smile.

"Y-Yes." He replied and politely bowed his head. "Thank you very much! You saved me!"

"Kuzuryu-san is easily misunderstood because of how he looks, but he's not scary. Please don't hate him." It was then that she finally noticed Eruna who was panting quite heavily, a huge blush on her face. "Is she the one you found this time?"

"M-Me...?" Eruna perked up and pointed to herself excitedly. "Is she talking to me?"

"I still can't say, ryui." Bimii floated over with the flick of a tail. "She might have possibilities on a different vector from you, ryui."

"I see." The girl replied before walking towards Eruna, stopping till they were at a respectable distance. "If you haven't decided on a club to join yet, will you join the going-home club for a trial period?" Every single spectator let out an audible gasp at the request. "Only if you feel so inclined, though."

"I do feel so inclined!" Eruna replied immediately before spewing her desires. "I feel so inclined right now! I mean, I have always felt so inclined! In fact, I have since the day I was born! I feel so inclined with all my body and soul!"

"Then it's decided." The girl smiled at her enthusiasm before walking off. "Oh, right." She said, coming to a halt and looked over her shoulder. "I completely forgot, but there is a club battle next week. Unfortunately, I'm planning on being indisposed that day, so please enter as the going-home club representative." Leaving it on that note, she disappeared back inside.

 _My goddess has invited me to join the going-home club!_ Eruna squealed on the inside. _This isn't a delusion, right? It's not a dream, either, right?_ Feeling her blood boiling with so much emotion she let out a loud "Alright!" _I have a feeling this is the start of a story...that will never fade!_

"And what exactly...is making you so cheerful this morning?"

"A-Ah!" She turned around to see me gazing down at her with very sleepy eyes and a school bag slung over my shoulder. With my hood up she could only make out my eyes, my mouth and long strands of hair that cascaded down on either side of my face; everything else was hidden. "Naiteru-sempai! Good morning!"

"You are too loud, tone it down a bit." I commented dryly before noticing the crowd looking at us. "Did I miss something important?"

"Oh yes you did!" Eruna said, practically dancing on the tips of her toes and the blush was still evident on her face. "My goddess! The goddess from my dreams has finally invited me to join her going-home club!"

"What?...Goddess...?" I stared at her confused for the longest time before looking at Bimii. "Who is she referring to? I've never heard of a 'Goddess' in this school..."

"That would be the granddaughter of the headmistress, ryui." Bimii replied. "Seisa Mikagura."

"Seisa...Mikagura..." I thought about it a little bit before the light bulb went off in my head. "Oh...Mysterious girl."

"Is that what you call her? Mysterious girl?" Eruna frowned at the nickname I gave her, her cheeks swelling up into a pout. "She's a goddess you hear? My goddess!"

"Pipe down and get to class." I told her before pointedly glaring at everyone else who chose to stay in the courtyard. "That applies to all of you as well. Get moving." As if my appearance didn't get them to move, I lowered the temperature considerably and they all hurried off to get warm and out of the cold.

"S-S-Sempai!" Eruna's teeth chattered as she shuffled after me, rubbing her arms together in hopes of staying warm. "T-T-That w-was u-u-unnecessary!" She paused, covered her nose with both hands and sneezed loudly. "A-A-Achoo!"

"It got them to move and not late for class." I said promptly, snapping my fingers to remove the cold blanket and the temperature returned to normal. "If a huge drop in attendance on the first day were to occur I'd have another earful from the dean and sitting through one of her lectures of how this school was built on the foundation of..." I looked off to the side with a frown. "Something I don't remember but it was torture."

"What do you normally do, Sempai? Besides going to class of course?" Eruna asked, really curious about my life. "Also when did you first started studying here? What were you like back then? Were you popular?"

"Too many questions. I'll leave that for another time okay?" I opened the door to my class before looking at her. "Now run along. If I remember, Kurumi's your teacher correct?" Thank goodness I don't have her class today...

"Yes she is." Eruna blushed and started to think about the maid. "Ahhh~ Just seeing her makes me excited."

"As much as I would love to hear about your fetishes, she's probably gonna kill you if you're late." I leaned down till our faces were inches apart. "So get going."

"Y-Yes!" with that the first year excused herself and rushed off with a cloud of dust behind her.

* * *

 _Lunch break..._

"Joining for a trial period doesn't change anything after all, huh?" Eruna stated as she sat by herself with only Bimii as company in the crowded cafeteria. She managed to make it on time and was in her seat for attendance before the lesson started.

"That's not true, ryui." He told her as his tail twitched back and forth lazily. "You have an extra minute of shower time, and look—" He slapped a paw down on the table. "You have one more side dish, ryui."

"Alright!" She decided and nodded her head in agreement. "Even if the extra dish is just fermented soy beans, if I think of it as a lavish and elegant breakfast at the mansion..." She gazed off into the distance and started to drool. "Yum! Foie gras is delicious!" She mumbled out of the blue as she ate her lunch.

"That seems heavy for breakfast, ryui..." Bimii sweat dropped in response. Putting the dishes away, the girl had one more class with Kurumi and was even called upon by the teacher herself so she made her way to the front of the class.

"A new type of banana!" She exclaimed when three crystals floated over her head after Kurumi snapped her fingers. They were red colored and in the shape of crescent moons.

"No, they're crystals used in the club battles." Kurumi corrected her. "Whoever breaks the three crystals floating around their opponent first within the allotted time is the winner. You can crush them with your hands like this-" She reached out and closed her hand into a tight fist, shattering one of the crystals right then and there.

CHOMP~! "Waah!"

"Bite them-" Kurumi continued as Eruna fell over after sinking her teeth into another crystal which exploded upon contact. "Or you can release your own individual powers and hit them with your special attacks."

"Special attack?" Eruna asked.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Eruna!" Shigure exclaimed as he entered the room, posing dramatically for emphasis. "I'm finally here! After thoughtful preparation, here's the magnificent entrance you've been waiting for!"

"Kyaa~ It's Shigure Ninomiya from the manga club!" A large crowd of girls swarmed him, fawning over him with heart-shaped eyes.

"You know him, Ichinomiya?" One of the girls asked.

"He's just a perverted coz-con." was the response before the girl elaborated further since her classmate didn't understand the term. "Like someone with a sister complex, but the cousin version."

"Then, I, a coz-con, will show you my special attack!" Shigure offered as he ignored the cheers and screams of his female fans. "I call it, Hero Time!" Striking a ridiculous pose, he reached into his coat pocket with his right hand. "Huh?" He frowned and rummaged around his coat as if he was looking for something important. "Huh? Huh? Huh? Shooooot! I forgot my pen in my room!"

"In order to release your powers, you need a summoning object, ryui." Bimii explained as he and Eruna left Shigure to grieve at his foolish mistake. "In the case of Shigure from the manga research club, that item is a pen, ryui."

"I don't really get it, but does that mean I have power like that, too?" Eruna asked.

"Unfortunately, a power like that does not live in you right now, ryui." Bimii said. "However, since you enrolled in Mikagura Academy-"

"I've got it!" Eruna exclaimed like she thought of a really brilliant plan. "I just need to get Seisa-sempai to teach me all that stuff. I mean, it's after school! And she's my senior! And it's time for club activities!" She took off running down the halls. "Seisa-sempai...!"

"Ah...Wait a minute, ryui!" Bimii yelled after her and the two of them walked all the way to Seisa's home. It looked like a giant mansion with a light blue exterior. There was also a stone wall that surrounded its perimeter and a metal gate that allowed entry. Attached to the stone piece on the right was a speaker and a button that was probably used for calling.

"Seisa-sempai! I'm here to do club activities!" Eruna yelled after she pressed the button a couple of times.

"Do you know what the going-home club does?" Seisa's voice floated through the speaker; the girl herself was currently in her room watching on her tiny monitor while holding a cup of tea in her hand.

"Nope!" The girl replied straight-forwardly. "So please tell me! Please lead me by the hand! You can hold places other than my hand, too!"

"All right. First, turn around." Seisa ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Next, put your right foot in front. Then, put your left foot in front. Repeat that about 350 times."

"Yes, ma'a-Hey, wait a minute!" Catching on to what she was about to do, Eruna ran right back to the gate, flapping her arms up and down like a bird.

"The going-home club's club activity is going home, ryui." Bimii informed her, noticing the hurt expression on Eruna's face. While he was watching the entire scene he did his best not to laugh.

"So long, then." with that, Seisa cut off communication completely. Deciding not to let that little set her back dampen her mood, Eruna decided to seek out other clubs and started with the Calligraphy club.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but are you saying that I'm Seisa's replacement?" Himi asked and the two of them engaged in a conversation that even Bimii couldn't follow, from favorite ice cream flavor to Eruna's messed up fantasy of her wedding with Himi as her wife. "If you want to learn about the club battles and special attacks, try some of the others that around here."

"The Art club shows up regularly in the top ten, ryui." Bimii explained after the two of them said goodbye to Himi and found themselves standing right outside another door decorated with paint.

"Wasn't that kinda scary upperclassman from the Art club?" Eruna asked, remembering the confrontation in the courtyard.

"Don't worry, ryui. Kuzuryu might look like that, but he's kind at heart and a good guy, ryui." Bimii assured her. Summoning up her courage, she decided that the best way to introduce herself was to not open the door and just spoke loudly from behind, hoping someone would hear her.

"Huh?" Finally the door slid open to reveal Kuzuryu himself, paint splatters still evident on his face and jacket. Walking past her, he went to the vending machine nearby and held up his phone near the scanner. Then he walked back with three boxes of 'Delicious milk' in his arms and closed the door behind him.

"He's kind at heart and a good guy, but he's usually like _that_ , ryui."

"That's no good, then..." Eruna said before proceeding to the next club. When she arrived at the Flower Arrangement club, she actually opened the door by herself. What awaited her were a variety of beautiful arranged flowers, each with their own personality and uniqueness. The upperclassman in charge, Sadamatsu Minatogawa smiled as he stated that he was the one who arranged the flowers.

"He's the president and representative of this club." Bimii said.

"Nice to meet you!" Eruna said as the president seated himself in the middle of a large flower he created out of the ground.

"The Flower Arrangement club is also a regular in the top ten, but they have fewer and fewer members each year. That's why this is now basically a clubroom just for Minatogawa, ryui." Bimii explained. "Minatogawa's power, Selfish Flower, allows him to manipulate flowers, ryui."

"Do you like flowers?" Sadamatsu asked.

"If they're delicious!" replied Eruna.

"You can't eat flowers, ryui." Bimii chastised her.

"Huh?" She turned to look at him in confusion. "But the yellow ones that come with sashimi taste good."

"You can eat that, ryui?! I thought it was just for decoration, ryui!"

"I wish you wouldn't eat the flowers." Sadamatsu said. "I mean, look-" Holding up a sheer, he grew a mini apple tree right in front of their eyes. The process of the plant growing into a mature adult was really fascinating. "Right?" Cutting off only a few of the ripe fruits from the lovely branches, he handed them to her as a parting gift.

"Well that covers one meal for today!" The girl hummed as she devoured an apple with four more sitting beside her. Once Bimii reminded her of her quest to find what it means to have a 'special attack', she hurried off to the Drama Club, where the members were in the middle of rehearsing for their next play or just for fun.

"The Drama club is a popular club that ranks high in both members and points, ryui."

"I won't lose in acting!" Eruna said with confidence. "I mean, I've been entrusted with the important role of Tree since kindergarten! I'm an extraordinary actress!"

"Oh, it's the cute teacher!" Nyamirin exclaimed as she approached Bimii.

"S-Stop it, ryui!" He protested when she held him close, his face ended up pressed against her large bosom. "I can't breathe, ryui!"

"Her chest is huge!" Eruna stated.

"What was that again? The last _late_ new student?" Nyamirin chuckled.

"Not _late_ , the last _great_!" Eruna corrected.

"What? The last _plate_?" The two girls continued to banter back and forth forcing another member of the club to speak up, complaining that it was noisy.

"Oh, I saw that person at the new student welcome party." Eruna said when she recognized him.

"I'm the Drama club representative, Yuto Akama. Nice to meet you!" He introduced himself, casually leaning his scythe against his shoulder.

"Eruna is learning about different special attacks for the club battles by going around to different clubs, ryui." Bimii explained.

"Oh, really?" Yuto asked with a small smile. "Then, did you go to the Astronomy club already?"

"Is the Astronomy club amazing, too?" Eruna asked.

"No, not really." Yuto replied before he disappeared and reappeared right behind her. Then he disappeared again. Eruna looked all around as multiple Yutos appeared, some of them were obviously mirages but they looked exactly like the real one. "This is my attack...Coup d'Etat Faker! I'll play tricks on your eyes."

* * *

 _Night..._

"Everyone's amazing..." Eruna breathed as she walked back around the halls of the dorm, her hands placed behind her back.. "What must I do to be able to use that power, too?"

"There's no use rushing, ryui." Bimii advised her as they climbed the stairs that led to the rooftop. "Train your mind and body every day, and with that hard work, one day..." Opening the door, they stepped out to witness a beautiful night sky filled with dozens of shining stars.

"Wow...there's so many of them!" Eruna exclaimed.

"Hey, are you listening, ryui?!" Bimii asked as the girl continued to stargaze.

"Oh, you're from this morning..." A voice spoke and they noticed Asuhi standing beside his telescope. "Eruna Ichinomiya, right? I can't believe Seisa-sempai invited you to join her club!"

"Speaking of which, the Astronomy club is scheduled for club activities here tonight, ryui."

"Isn't the Astronomy club the one Akama said wasn't that good earlier?" Eruna said bluntly.

"N-No, the Astronomy club _is_ good." Bimii scolded her. "It's one of the top ranking clubs, ryui!" He then turned his attention to the boy. "Where are the other Astronomy club members, ryui?"

"The upperclassmen aren't here yet." Asuhi replied. "This is my first astronomical observation since entering high school, so I'm really happy..." He had a small blush on his face. "I couldn't wait and came early, but it looks like I'm the only one."

"What is this? Is he really a boy?!" asked Eruna, feeling her heart go ba-dum inside her chest as a blush appeared on her face. "He's overflowing with girlish behavior and femininity, though!"

"Even though Asuhi is a new student, he's already the Astronomy club representative, ryui. He's very gifted, despite his youth." Bimii praised him.

"Oh no, I still have a lot to learn." Asuhi said modestly.

"Hey, can I take a peek at that, too?" Eruna pointed to the telescope.

"Yes! Please wait a moment." He set to work modifying the instrument as well as wiping the lens with a clean handkerchief. "I'll adjust it so you can see more easily, Eruna."

"What a nice kid..." She commented, feeling a bit warm and fuzzy on the inside. Once it was done and he allowed her to use it, she was able to see the stars a lot clearer.

"Isn't it lovely?" Asuhi asked as he looked at the sky too. "Stars show us different expressions depending on the day. I never get bored, even if I look at them every day."

"Yeah..." Eruna agreed as she continued looking. "I feel like I could look at them forever."

"Don't push that button...!" Asuhi suddenly said when he noticed her hand lift to the side of the telescope. Too late. She pushed it and suddenly something shot out of the telescope, something similar to a shooting star. Eruna fell on her butt out of surprise and just stared in shock, unsure at what she just witnessed. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Y-You don't need to apologize." Eruna said shakily.

"That just now was called Shooting Star. It's my power that fires when the telescope is loaded with power from the stars." Asuhi explained. "Its weakness is that anyone can fire it once the bullets are loaded..."

"That's amazing, Asuhi!" Eruna exclaimed. "How did you learn to use this power?"

"Huh? I...don't know..." He replied honestly. "I just like looking at stars, so I've been looking at them every day since I was in elementary school. And then, before I knew it..."

"I've got it! The keyword is 'before I knew it'!" Eruna said once she and Bimii said goodnight to Asuhi. "Good things come to those who wait."

"Are you going to wait in that sleeping bag?" Bimii asked.

"I don't want that!" She told him.

"Then you need to start by working hard to get out of that sleeping bag." He continued to flutter in the direction of the dorms.

"By the way..." Eruna turned to face him with a puzzled expression. "In the end, she wouldn't show it to me, but what kind of power does Seisa-sempai have?"

"Seisa's power is called Killing Art, ryui." The teacher fluttered overhead and proceeded to lecture. "It's the only power at Mikagura Academy that can be activated without an item."

"Really?" She asked. "Naiteu-sempai didn't seem to have an item either..."

"I'm pretty sure she has one, but to tell you the truth, Naiteu-sama's powers are still a complete mystery. Even to me ryui." Bimii told her. "Anyways, the most amazing thing about Seisa's power is-"

"That's my goddess!" Eruna cut in with a squeal before pumping her fists up into the air. "I take back the 'good things come to those who wait'! I'm going to do intensive training and learn a special attack, too!"

* * *

 _Somewhere..._

 _Nothing out of the ordinary...again._ I mused once I finished my regular route as my daily club activity. _It's been really peaceful lately...but I can't put my finger on this strange feeling like something bad was going to happen..._ The wind blew casually, making the leaves and other small items dance in the middle of the streets below. I stood there watching them for awhile before looking out towards the downtown area.

 _I wish you could still be here to see just how much change the city has made...Iliya-sama._ Turning on my heels I proceeded to make my way back to school when my ears stood straight up, cocking left and right as if to pinpoint something. My nose tingled and my eyes darted back and forth wearily. _What is this?_

"Peaceful night isn't it?" A voice spoke and I tensed up. "I'm surprised to see that you still loiter around here. It would seem that my mistress was right on the money." I looked all around but I couldn't see who the speaker was.

"Who are you?" I growled, getting into an attack stance. "Show yourself!" There was a rustling behind a tree and a shadow appeared. As soon as the mysterious figure stepped closure into the light given off by a nearby streetlamp, I felt my eyes widen with surprise. _It can't be...!_ "Y-You're...!"

"That's right. It's me and I have a warning just for you."


	4. Chapter 3: So many questions!

**A/N** : Chapter 3 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it. Sorry if this chapter's too short, I'll make longer ones next time!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: So many questions!**

 _The next morning..._

"Then, I'll let you practice your special attack on me!" Shigure exclaimed excitedly, eager to help out his cousin. He let out a squeal of delight and posed dramatically. "Oh, I'll be Eruna's first partner!"

"Gross." The girl replied with a straight face, pouting at the boy that stood before her. "But because of that kind of characteristic trait of his, I can beat him up without holding back."

"What about your item, ryui?" Bimii asked with mild concern as she cracked her knuckles loudly.

"Since I'm in the going-home club, I guess I'll use this for now?" Eruna replied, holding up what looked like a normal school bag. "It's the only thing I have on my person at the moment."

"Okay, try it. ryui!" Bimii encouraged her even though on the inside he didn't really think that Eruna knew what she was doing. _This probably won't go too well...ryui..._

"Come to me, Eruna!" Shigure held his arms wide open with glee, ready to handle anything his cousin dished to him. "My body awaits thee!"

"School Bag Crash!" She exclaimed, running towards her cousin with murderous intent flashing in her eyes. He let out a yelp as the leather material smacked him in the face, sending tingling feelings throughout his body.

"You're just hitting him with your bag, ryui." Even Bimii wasn't impressed by her attack as the boy toppled to the ground, limbs twitching. _And what's with that lame attack name...?_

"Then, I'll use this!" Next she took out the purple sleeping bag and held it confidently with both arms like a large baseball bat.

"Come to me, Eruna!" Shigure, fully recovered, sprang back to his feet and held his arms out.

"Sleeping Beauty!"

 _So you're just hitting him, ryui?_ Bimii let out a sigh as Eruna continuously hit her cousin with any and all physical objects she could get her hands on. When it came to her game console that she took out of her uniform pocket, she totally ignored him and started button mashing. The boys didn't even bother interrupting her until she let out a squeal of delight.

"Yay! I did it, Bimii!" She exclaimed with a huge blush on her face and steam coming out of her nose as she waved her console in the air. "It's our first night alone in the nurse's office!"

"What the hell are you doing, ryui?!" The flying magical cat, enraged by her childish and perverted actions, used her own bag to hit her over the head.

"In my delusions, I can activate techniques like 'this', 'that', and 'What?! Even that?!' but..." Eruna frowned as she decided to take a break from training, sitting on a vacant bench with a mopey expression. Shigure had left, stating that he had things to take care of which she was happy about anyways. The sound of soft footsteps caught her attention and she looked up see her goddess standing before her. "Seisa-sempai!"

"I suppose it's impossible for you after all." The girl commented with a smile on her face.

"Th-That's not true!" Eruna rose to her feet in haste.

"But you can't fight in that state, can you?"

"It's fine! I'll definitely show you that I can win!" The orange-haired first year was determined to make Seisa proud of her, no matter what. "Because I want to win and become an official going-home club member and do club activities with you!"

"The going-home club just goes home." Seisa stated simply, getting a shocked reaction from the latter. "Even if I allowed you to join, there's nothing for us to do together."

"We can go home together!"

"I have a fluffy bed in a mansion. You are in the dorm with a sleeping bag. We cannot go home together."

"Then we can go halfway!" Eruna begged her, gazing at her imploringly with huge doe eyes. "We can stop somewhere on the way! Or we can go the long way!" She held her arms out wide with a smile. "We can even stop by a delicious ice cream shop and eat ice cream together and get stomachaches and go to the nurse's office together and put bandages on each other in the nurse's office...We can do anything on the way home!"

 _Hmm..._ Seisa stayed quiet as she analyzed the first year with sharp eyes. _This girl..._

"I wanted to come to this school because I saw you in the pamphlet, and it was love at first sight! I wanted to go to the same school with a lovely person such as yourself!" Eruna told her, looking at the ground bashfully as she continued to word vomit. "Then, when you invited me to join the going-home club, I was really happy!"

"So what?" Seisa finally asked once she heard everything Eruna told her. The first year smiled brightly before giving her her answer.

"So...I'll work hard with everything I have!"

"Now, we will begin the match! Ryui!" Bimii said as he looked at both Eruna and Himi. The two of them were on the rooftop of a nearby building for the first match of the day.

"Wait, I'm fighting against Himi?" Eruna asked in confusion as she looked at the representative of the Calligraphy club.

"It's amazing that you're the going-home club representative, Eruna!" The petite girl chuckled in response, twirling her brush high over her head before pointing it in her opponent's direction. "But I'm more amazing 'cause I'm going to beat you!"

"I won't lose, either!" Eruna grinned at the challenge.

"The time limit is one hour." Bimii explained the rules as he used his magic to create some sort of barrier to reduce any damages caused by the battle. "Whoever gets all three crystals broken first loses."

"No one's going to watch our fight?"

"The other students can watch from wherever they like, ryui." Bimii replied as every single student had their devices out and staring at the screen with hungry eyes. "The match is broadcast from cameras installed around the school. Now, are you ready, ryui?"

 _I won't fail._ Eruna thought with confidence as she prepared herself for her first match fight. _I will win. I promised Seisa-sempai that I would._

"Begin the match."

* * *

 _In my room..._

I sat at my desk, twirling a pencil in my hand as I stared at my homework. Last night wasn't the funniest of nights and I still replayed what had happened because the event that occurred wasn't ordinary; it transpired for a reason and truth be told, I was still muddling over the entire confrontation. Closing my eyes I leaned back in my chair and thought about what happened...step-by-step.

"Y-Y-You're...!" My eyes widened with surprise as the person stepped into the lighting. There was no way I'd forget a face and I was staring at the boy three years ago, the very same boy that was speaking on his cellphone to a strange female voice the day Iliya-sama died. He certainly looked older now, it's been a long time since I last saw him. "It's you...!"

"That's right." He spoke as he stood before me, hands in his pockets in a nonchalant manner. "It's me and I have a warning just for you."

"You know you are no longer allowed on the school grounds...you were expelled a year ago." I said, narrowing my eyes in a warning of my own. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the premises...unless you want me to use force."

"Don't you know that there's a law established by the Dean...which states that if you attack someone without powers, you will automatically get suspended?" The man smirked when I snarled irritably on the inside. "But I'm just here to chat, not to make problems."

 _Hmm...? Well he did say he had a warning for me..._ "Speak then." I ordered, crossing my arms across my chest. "What do you have to say?"

"My boss has sent me here specifically to talk to you...only to you..."

"Your Boss?" I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest. "Refresh my memory, who exactly is your Boss?"

"She was a part of the club that was disbanded 2 years ago...thanks to a certain incident."

"2 years ago?" I frowned a bit as I racked my brain for events from back then. "I was out of town on an internship opportunity."

"...what...?" He looked at me in confusion. "You weren't...at school when it happened?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "I don't think I remember anything about that year. I came back as a junior without knowing the details."

"Well...you'll know soon enough." He told me before looking at his watch and grimaced. "I got to run, my Boss gave me a certain amount of time to spend with you and it seems that I've reached the limit. I really don't want to over-welcome my stay."

"You still haven't told me anything in regards to why you're here..."

"Watch your back." The young man said before turning on his heels and walking off. "Enemies will pop up at every twist and turn when you least expect it."

"Why?" I called after him but he disappeared without answer. The winds swirled around me as I stood rooted to the spot. It wasn't chilly to say the least but his message and brief warning perked my interest to no end.

 _I can't seem to connect the dots..._ I growled with frustration when I opened my eyes, putting the pencil down and stood up to stretch my legs. _Why? Why are there gonna be enemies that will appear? Who is that man's Boss? What happened 2 years ago after Iliya-sama's death? Damn it...so many questions, so little answers..._

I walked towards my bed and collapsed on top of it, resting an arm over my head. Closing my eyes again for another minute I listened to nothing but peace and quiet and knew that the other students were either studying or watching a battle; I'm leaning more towards the latter option.

"Tension max! Go!" My eyes snapped open as the voice of that first year echoed throughout my room. Sitting up and pulling my own original device from my pocket, I watched as a beam of light flew from the girl's finger on the screen, destroying an ink blob and went straight towards the target.

 _Huh? That ability...? Toy Gun?_ I thought to myself as Himi's pained voice floated through and Bimii announced the winner. _Why does she have that ability?_

"I can't believe it...how did she do it without an item...?" Himi whispered as she fell to her knees in defeat.

"Did I win..?" Eruna wondered as she looked at her hand. She grinned and held up a victory sign with her fingers. "Don't tell me I caused a huge upset?"

"You've finally awakened, Eruna?" Shigure smiled with relief after he watched his cousin battled. "Congrats."


	5. Chapter 4: The shrouded figure

**A/N** : Chapter 4 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The shrouded figure**

 _Somewhere during school..._

"I'm shining so brightly today!" Eruna crowed as she sported off a couple of poses for the camera. After her victory in her first battle, she couldn't help but be overjoyed and filled with excitement. Everywhere she went she would flaunt and boast, proclaiming to be the school's beloved hero. Loved by all and always there to help those in peril.

"Um..." The photographer, a girl with large glasses, lowered her camera to stare at the first year who was strutting around in a bikini. "Do you think I could interview you now?"

"Mmhmm!" Eruna said as she struck some more poses just for the heck of it. Once she felt like she did enough she put her normal clothes back on. "Fire away!" The two of them decided to settle down at a nearby table and began to process.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm the representative of the newspaper club, Rumina Rikyu." Rumina held a tiny notepad within her hands. "Your club battle today was a spectacular debut."

"Aw, shucks..." The first year rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with a hand, blushing from the praise. "You're embarrassing me..."

"How exactly did you win?"

"How? U-U-Um..." Eruna thought about it for a minute before acting all bashful and stated, "I guess you could say I won because I was meant to win? Like I was well prepared? I think it's called an awakening? Something like that..."

"I see." Rumina stated in a monotonous voice as she scribbled down in her little notepad. "So that's how it was."

"What's with that reaction? Didn't I suddenly rise to fame as the school hero? This isn't an apology interview with someone who made a mistake, right?" Eruna cried out, giving the girl her puppy dog eyes.

"Who would you like to share the joy of winning with?" asked Rumina. At that question Eruna stood up abruptly, the light shining in her eyes.

"Of course! It would have to be my goddess!" She giggled as her mind went off into her fantasy interaction with Seisa Mikagura. Her face lit up in a blush and she couldn't stop the string of noises escaping her mouth. "Hue hue hue~"

"Well, that's it for the interview." Rumina announced but knew that once the first year was lost in her own fantasy she didn't hear anything else. Tucking her notes away she turned on her heels and disappeared, leaving Eruna all by herself with a huge blush upon her face.

* * *

 _In my room..._

Whenever I don't feel like going to the gym I did my workouts by myself. The first year's battle from the other day sparked an interest within me since her awakened power was an ability that hasn't been seen before. Finishing my last rep of curl ups I flipped to my feet and wiped my sweat off with a towel. My hair was tied up in a ponytail so that it wouldn't fall into my eyes.

 _Toy Gun...an ability that was used back when the Academy was first created...according to the archives._ I thought, as I proceeded to wipe the sweat off my abdominal muscles. _Could it be...that that first year's..._

"Oi! Puppy-chan!" A voice spoke outside my room, followed by the knocking of knuckles. "Wanna go and eat together? It's bee awhile since we did so!"

"What did I say about giving me that nickname?" I opened the door and was greeted by a very enthusiastic Nyamirin. She grinned broadly, her eyes trailing up and down my body with appreciation of some sort. Whatever it was it sent shivers down my spine.

"Looks like I came at the right time." She giggled, whipping out her device and snapped a picture before I could even blink. "This looks great as my screen saver!"

"Delete that." I growled but she placed a hand on my chest, holding me back from getting to her device. "Nyamirin!"

"Now now, don't look at me like that. You look very cute when you're trying to be angry." She teased, putting the object into her pocket and out of sight. Leaning close she released a purr and my ears twitched slightly at the noise. "Puppy-chan needs to warm up a little, you're just too cold all the time. It's a wonder you have any friends at this school."

"If I don't have any friends what does that make you?"

"A person with benefits."

"Tch...fine, whatever. But if that picture circulates..." I stepped back, the warning on the tip of my tongue.

"Yes yes." Nyamirin sauntered in and sat on my bed, patting the material with her hands. "It'll be our little secret~"

 _I have a bad feeling about her having that picture...I may have to delete it at some point while she isn't looking..._ Releasing a sigh I closed the door and picked up a fresh set of clothes. "I'm gonna go wash, I hope you don't mind waiting."

"Oh of course I don't!" She chirped, that Cheshire-like grin still evident on her face. "But if you're so worry about me, why don't you keep your door open so I can still talk to you?"

"On second thought, I rather talk to the shower wall." I slammed the door shut and gave myself an ice cold bath. Getting dressed we headed down to the cafeteria. Heads turned and the students whispered to one another but I practically ignored them, focusing on the girl who ended up clinging to my side. "Is there anything new going on today?"

"Mmmmm not that I know of." Nyamirin stated as she got what she wanted, her face lighting up with happiness. "Oh boy, the food looks delicious! Why are you eating ice cream at a time like this?" She looked over to see that I indeed had just a small bowl of ice cream.

"I can eat ice cream whenever I like." I shoveled in a spoonful, not at all worried about what I eat on a daily basis. "Got a problem with that?"

"Is it because you're running low on points?"

"Yikes..." I winced, knowing that she hit the nail on the head.

"I suspected it since you haven't been participating in the battles so obviously you won't get anything." She sighed loudly. "Well, you have a chance to win big in the junior battles that are coming up after all."

"Oh that's right..." I leaned back in my chair and thought about it. There are a variety of battles going on and just how there's Rookie battles for new students, Junior battles are for current juniors. It's just as important a competition as the Rookie battle but doesn't influence the power structure as much. "I forgot all about them."

"You should definitely participate, the rest of the juniors will be there. And I just know a couple of them are really eager to go against you, myself included!" Nyamirin grinned and pulled out her device, using a finger to swipe through something I couldn't really see. "The passion for the Rookie battle is heating up and we can't allow those first years to show us up now can we?"

"Thanks for the food."

"O-Oi! Take this seriously Puppy-chan!" She whined as I threw away my cup and proceeded to walk out. Finishing her own meal she hurried after me and fell into pace "I won't let you diet on ice cream alone!"

* * *

 _Somewhere..._

"Jeez, you tricked me, Eruna!" Himi pouted before nibbling on a piece of chip. She was approached by Eruna and is currently walking behind the said first year as they followed Kurumi around Seisa's mansion. The first year apologized, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"My lady wanted to hear your thoughts on the battle yesterday." Kurumi addressed them as they stood behind a huge door. Ringing the door beside it, the maid and teacher said, "My lady, I have brought the two eejit visitors."

"Kurumi-sensei that's a bit cold..." Eruna frowned at the label but was promptly ignored. Opening the door the two younger ones immediately rushed about, gushing at anything and everything. "This is where my goddess lives! So amazing!"

"Oh I see Seisa!" Himi stated and sure enough the girl was sitting on her bed, eyes closed as if she had dosed off. Her hair draped elegantly past her shoulders, her lips slightly parted to allow breathes to pass.

"Seisa-senpai!" Leaping to her feat Eruna rushed forward, hoping to smother her with her usual fetish thinking but was put down immediately by Kurumi. The maid was simply doing her job, serving Seisa as a maid while keeping Eruna obedient during her stay. "O-Ouch...Kurumi-sensei that was too rough..."

"My lady, please wake up." Kurumi said softly, ignoring her injured student. She leaned forward a bit and repeated. "My lady...it's time to wake up."

"Oh." Seisa opened her eyes, blinked before nodding her head to her maid. "Thank you."

"Seisa-sempai, I won yesterday! I did well in defending the honor of the going-home club!" Eruna announced with giddiness. "Now, praise me! I'm the type who does better when praised!" She felt a hand on top of her head and she glanced up, noticing that her goddess was actually petting her.

"You did a good job."

"This could be the peak of my entire life..." Eruna proclaimed, relishing in the praise. Please don't let it end...

"However...I think a large part of your victory was because Himi let down her guard." The captain of the art club flinched at the words. "Himi, if you had gone for the win from the start, it would have been hard for Eruna to break your crystals. Am I wrong?"

" T-That's..."

"That's not true!" Eruna shouted, stepping back so she could face all three ladies. "I am the chosen hero of Mikagura Academy! I don't really understand myself, either, but I can feel it! That's why I was able to beat Himi on my first try! I'm sure I could put up a good fight against you, too, Seisa-sempai!"

"You seem to have grown very confident." Seisa spoke, not at all bothered by the outburst. "Then, let's do this..."

"Eh?"

"Why don't we have a practice battle tomorrow after school? If you can break even one of my crystals, I will allow you to officially join the going-home club." Seisa could see the shocked expressions but continued speaking. "However, if you cannot break any, then I will revoke your provisional membership, and you'll go back to not being part of any club."

"T-This..."

"How about it? Will you accept?"

"No way!" Himi tried to cut in, waving her arms dramatically in front of her face. "No matter how good she is, that's impossible!"

"It's way too hard, ryui!" Bimii added. "Don't make Eruna do that sort of thing!" However Eruna thought differently and her eyes were brimming with excitement.

"Alright then, let's do it! If I break even one, I'll become a going-home club member...and live with you in this mansion!"

"...aren't you getting too carried away here?" Bimii asked. "And why in the world are you adding something to that promise?!"

"Just you watch! I'll become a member in no time!"

* * *

 _Outside..._

"Never thought I'd shake off Nyamirin..." I sighed, massaging my head with my fingertips. Just hanging out with a member of the drama club sent my head spinning. "She just wouldn't stop talking about the battles..."

 _Whooosh~ Thunk!_

"What the..." Because of my extra hearing I noticed something coming at me from the shadows and dodged appropriately, looking at a blade sticking out of the wall of a school building. My eyes caught movement and I chased after it, going deeper and deeper into the forest that borders the school grounds.

My ears acted as little satellites as I ran through the foliage, listening to the pattering footsteps of my prey. Because of how dense the forest actually was I lost sight of my target a couple of times thus I had to rely on my other senses. However thanks to the daily night patrols I do I had a sense of the layout and managed to overtake the fleeing figure.

"Tch, you're a fast one." A voice, likely female, came from the hood as I skidded in front, my eyes focusing on her like a predator. "The boss warned me about you..."

"Are you the first one?" I growled, addressing the cloaked figure. Rising upright I stepped up till I was no more than an arms-length away. "The boy I met the other night warned me about enemies..."

"That's right, I'm the first." She replied before raising an arm to her face, showing a small device attached to her wrist. "Hey, it's me and I have my intended target. Activate it."

"A barrier?" I looked as the ground lit up due to some kind of magical power, surrounding the two of us in a large cube. I glared at her with interest. "What is the meaning of this? What are you planning?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" The figure rushed forward, arm drew back with the fingers curled into a fist. "We're locked in a battle and you cannot escape!"

"Who said I was thinking about escaping?!" I lunged forward as well, feeling the heat of battle coursing through my veins. The three moon crystals popped up, floating behind my head. "If it's a fight you want it's a fight you'll get!"


	6. Chapter 5: Framed

**A/N** : Chapter 5 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Framed**

 _Within the barrier..._

Our fists collided with one another, sending shock waves throughout the barrier that held steady. As we fought I noticed that the prison was a sound proof barrier, thus anyone who walked pass wouldn't even know there was a fight if there was one. My tail had popped out during the fight, twitching back and forth with uncertainty. Something was nagging me since the beginning of this battle, my mind sending me signals that forced me to observe my opponent even more closely. She was using such ordinary tactics that I couldn't help but feel like she was belittling me.

"C'mon, are you spacing out during our fight? That's a huge no no~!" She asked, causing me to blink as I stared at her. "Oh don't give me that look. You're basically an open book!"

"Don't be ridiculous." I growled as we clashed and leaned close, my lips pulled back to bear my teeth. "And don't attempt to read me and be all chummy-chummy like you're my best friend. You're my enemy."

"Someone's being feisty~" She teased as she drew a finger up my throat playfully, tapping the underside of my jaw with the said finger. "Meeeeow~"

"Quit grossing me out!" I took a couple steps back, unable to hold down a blush. _When was the last time someone teased me in such a way? Ugh! Calm down calm down! This isn't the time to be acting like a silly school girl!_

"Awww, is the big bad wolf getting embarrassed?" She crowed, taking note of how my ears perked up and my tail had come to a stop. "Heh, jackpot~"

"Attack me for real!" I yelled at her with anger. "Don't tell me you're actually weak cause if you are then I'm just wasting my time!" That got some reaction as her happy-go-lucky attitude changed and she fixed me with the most strangest stare I've ever seen.

"I'm not weak...I'll show you that I'm not weak!" She rushed towards me, foam coming out the side of her mouth like a rabid dog. "Fall before the might of my power!"

 _Why isn't she going for my crystals? She's just attacking me with these common attack patterns..._ I thought, ducking as she swung her arm forward. I retaliated with a spinning hook kick which she avoided, dancing around on the balls of her feet. _Is she just toying with me? Her attacks are getting better so I'll give her that...  
_

"Heh, not bad! Not bad at all!" The mysterious figure grinned, reverting back to her cheerful self and closed the distance between us. I could see the teasing look within her eyes. "I'm starting to like you more and more! It's getting my blood pumping to no end!"

"Tch." I growled and lashed out with my left arm, causing my opponent to hop back with laughter. "Weirdo."

"Gahaha! What reaction!"

"Wait a minute..." Reaching up, I noticed that my necklace was no where around my neck. I looked around frantically and even at the ground with panic. "Where is it?! Don't tell me I lost it...!"

"Looking for this?" My eyes looked to see my necklace in her hands and she waved it around like a banner. "I'm surprised that you caught on pretty quickly."

"Give that back." I narrowed my eyes and took a step forward, the ground icing over with the step.

"Mmmm...nope!" She tossed it to the ground and placed her foot over it. "It's just a lame tag, what's so special about it?" She began to twist her food with a smile upon her face. "Oops, I got it dirty. What are you gonna do about it?"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Feeling the adrenaline roar through my blood I knocked her over, pinning her down before raining blows with my fists. "THAT NECKLACE IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND YOU HAD THE NERVE TO WALK ALL OVER IT!" After swinging my hands a couple more times I kneel over her breathing heavily, sweat dripping down my face. My opponent's face was beaten in but slowly the corners of her mouth curled upward.

"Haha...haha..." A laugh erupted from between her busted lip and she just laid there laughing to her hearts content. "HAHAHAHA!"

"What are you laughing about?" I growled, grabbing the front of her cloak with both hands and lifted her upper body off the ground. She just looked at me with a craze in her eyes and it sent a shiver down my spine when I looked at her.

"Oh this is golden, I hope you were smiling for your grand debut."

"My what...? What are you talking about?"

"Why don't you take a look?" Her eyes shifted and I noticed a device laying not too far away, about an arm's length away. It must've flown out of her pocket when I knocked her down. Keeping my eyes on her I reached out and grabbed the device. "Go on. I'm sure you'll find it...entertaining."

 _Why is she grinning like that?_ I mused but I obeyed, swiping a finger across the screen. At first there was nothing and then a file popped up. Clicking on it I noticed that there was only one thing in there and it was a video. The date underneath it was today and I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. "Is this some sort of trick...?"

"Open it and find out." So I did.

"W-What...?" My eyes widened in horror as I watched myself going to town on my opponent. It had been broadcast even with the barrier over the network and had a lot of views. By now the entire student body had seen what I did and I couldn't think of what would happen the moment I stepped out of the barrier. "T-This is..."

"Yes, that's right..." A sinister grin appeared on her face and I winced when a hand gripped my wrist, squeezing tightly to the point where I let her go. "Now the entirety of the school...knows what you did here..."

"You little...!"

"Oh yes, this had been my plan from the start! You honesty didn't think I could do this all on my own." She tilted her head back with a laugh. "But now...you've been painted to look like a huge bully. And...you broke the law."

 **Don't you know that there's a law that said the if you attack someone without powers, you will get suspended?**

I got up immediately as if I had been shocked and stepped back, standing there in silence with wide eyes. The man's words played over and over in my mind like a haunting record. _This can't be happening...this can't be happening...There is no way...this must all be a dream...  
_

"Oh man, you should see the look on your face." My opponent rose to her feet, brushing off the dirt that had accumulated during the fight as if it was nothing. "What I wouldn't give to take a picture and frame it on my wall."

"You...!" I bared my teeth in anger but she just wiggled her finger in a taunting manner.

"Ah ah...do you still want to show the student body just how much of a bully you are?" She pulled out her device and showed me the video that was still broadcasting throughout the network.

"That's..."

"Since you are actually a student here I know your reputation's on the line. As for me..." Pain exploded when she headbutted me and I stumbled back, wincing with pain. "I don't have to worry about a thing! Now how about I return all those punches you gave me?"

"Damn it..." I growled as she pulled out her device and began to type away. Once she was done she pressed a button and put it away. "What did you do?"

"Oh I just stopped the broadcasting to the student body as a whole. After all they don't need to see the rest, I summarized our fight in a message. Just controlling the minds of those sheep is the best!" She sneered before running towards me, her arm pulled back with the fingers curled into a tight fist. "However I hope that you'll put up a good show for the rest of my buddies as well as the headmistress!"

"Tch." I raised my arms and prepared to block the punch. _Even if the headmistress watches there's no way she'd allow this...I have to knock her out as fast as I can!_

"If you block then it'll look like you're willing to continue this fight. And that'll take another chunk out of your reputation."

 _Damn it...!_ I lowered my guard, tightening up my muscles as her fist slammed into my solar plexus. My feet slid back an inch but I held on, holding back the urge to retch.

"Not bad, it'd be a shame if you fell so early." The figure mused as I stumbled back, cracking her knuckles loudly. Rustling for something underneath the cloak I watched as she produced a pair of brass knuckles and applied them to each hand. "Make this last a little while longer!"

"Nngak! Oough! Aaack!" My head snapped back from an upper cut to the jaw followed back a strong punch to the stomach, the ridges of the brass knuckles digging into my skin. Within my mind I knew this was wrong and that I should retaliate but imagining what the headmistress would do to me stopped me in my tracks.

"Ahahaha! This is so fun!" Hysterical laughter erupted from my opponent before she slugged me in the face. "You're so obedient, what a lap dog!"

"Gah!" I yelped, crashing to the ground with a stinging cheek before a hand wrapped itself tightly around my throat. I felt new bruises forming over my body, a new cut above my eye and a busted lip. "Nnngh!"

"How does it feel? Getting your medicine handed back atcha?" My attacker asked, straddling my hips and enjoyed watching me suffer. "This is actually my first time besting an opponent."

"Urk...You..." I tried to speak but she slugged me across the face and I winced. Taking a deep breath I tried again. "I wouldn't call this...a victory...If I weren't restrained by the law...I'll...I'll..."

"You'll what? Bore me to death with words?" She jeered, watching me carefully. "Making empty threats now are we?"

"I'd never...make threats I couldn't keep." I answered.

"Oho~? You really are...an interesting target." She mused, feeling her body quiver with anticipation. "Now...are you gonna strike me back? A civilian with no magic? Of course you can't, because you're bound by the headmistress' law."

"Which was implemented to ensure the safety of those who have yet to discover their powers..." I spat at her. "How dare you use that law...to your advantage..."

"Anyone who researched their opponent would use anything and everything to their advantage. Thus I used what I knew against you." She replied, rummaging around her cloak and pulled out a small switchblade. "Now stay still so I can skin you."

"Ptooh!" Gathering up as much spit as I could I spat in her face. Her eyes widened and she slowly wiped away the grime from her cheek.

"Oh, now you've done it!" Twirling the knife in her hand she plunged it down.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" I screamed before she clamped my mouth closed with a hand.

"That's right, scream out loud. No one's going to save you." She slowly drew the blade across my stomach, watching as my flesh ripped open and the blood trickled out. I screamed into her hand once more, trying not to thrash for fear of making the wound worse. "Well what do you know? The wolf actually does bleed red like the rest of us."

"Mmmphff! Mmnghff!" I glared up at her with tears spilling from my eyes.

"Hmmmm apparently you're doing exceptionally well. I must applaud you for having such endurance. How about this?" Removing her hand from my mouth she slammed my head back and kept it there, a hand pushing my jaw up so that my throat was exposed. My arms were trembling by my side but I felt my breath hitch when the cool steel traced across the sensitive skin. "Oh? Are you afraid?"

"If you're gonna do it...then do it. Quit dragging out unnecessary things!" I snarled and her eyes shined brightly.

"It'll be my pleasure!"

 _SLASH~_

"Gack!" I coughed when the blade ripped through, my right hand going up to my throat in hopes of stopping the blood. Feeling the weight lift I rolled over, propping myself on one arm while the other was trying to stop the blood.

"You look terrible...I almost feel pity for you."

"S-Screw you...!" I growled before the blunt edge of an iron boot slammed into my ribs, lifting my entire body off the ground. Eyes widening with surprise I couldn't help to let out a painful cry before falling back to the ground, curing up with my head down.

"I don't understand why the boss is afraid." The cloaked figure waited a minute before reaching underneath my bowed head to grab a fistful of my jacket from the front. She pulled me up till my feet barely touched the ground and held me there. "You're nothing more than my punching bag."

"Heh...you think...I'll be defeated...just like that?" I asked, opening my eyes to look at my opponent. "Don't...make me...laugh..."

"Hmph. So you still want to talk tough." She rammed her knee into my gut next, specks of blood flying from my mouth as I collapsed against her. My lungs were burning as I drew ragged breaths. "It's a shame that the boss actually wants you alive...go figure!"

"...coward..."

"What was that?" She gripped the back of my coat and raised me to eye level. There was anger in her eyes and I couldn't resist the urge but let out a silent laugh by how much I pissed her off. "Speak louder, or can you not since I slashed your throat?"

"I said...coward..." I repeated, looking at her as I did so. One of my eyes was swollen shut due to the amount of punches I had received but luckily the other wasn't badly hurt. "Your boss...is a coward..."

"Are you on your last words?" She asked me, tilting her head to the side in wonder. "Tell me you're not going crazy."

"...she should send someone else...who can hit harder..." My mouth twitched with a laugh. "Tell her...she's invited next time..."

"You bitch!" She growled and shook me vigorously. "Your bleeding on Death's door and you still have the energy to mock me! You're just all bark and no bite!"

 _S-Sorry...Illiya-sama...but...I disgraced you and allowed someone to throw dirt...on the gift you gave me..._ Releasing myself from her grip I tackled my opponent, wrapping my arms around her waist and held it tight. There were black spots appearing in my vision and it wouldn't be long before I'd lose consciousness. "I need to...finish this...soon..."

"Unhand me you fool! I said let go!" The hooded figure screamed, plunging the blade into my back. My eyes widened but I refused her orders. I allowed her to beat me all she wanted but my pride refused to let me surrender myself to her. "LET ME GO!"

"Absolute...Zero."

* * *

 _Inside the office..._

"Headmistress! Headmistress!" A student burst through the door breathlessly, wiping the sweat off his face. He had a device in his hand and he walked over till he stood directly in front of her desk. "Headmistress did you see what happened?"

"I have." An elderly woman spoke from where she sat in the reclining chair, her eyes looking out the window. One her desk was a device of her own from where she watched the streamed video. "Little did I know that _she_ would start making moves against us."

"She?" The student tilted his head in confusion. "Headmistress, just who are you referring to?"

"Oh sorry, just thinking to myself." She smiled and waved him off, a cheerful tone in her voice. "Go back and don't worry about it, I'm sure it's just me being old. Ohoho~!"

"Er...if you say so." He bowed and left the room in a hurry. Once the boy left the headmistress's mouth turned into a thin line and she looked at her device. She didn't expect to see such display of fighting but what's more haunting is that the students only got a message once the video was caught off.

 _I didn't get that message...I got the whole thing._ She thought about it some more, drumming her fingers against her desk. _While it's true that the student body are in disarray after seeing the fight they've only seen a part of it, they don't know the entire truth...it seems like she's on the move..._

"Headmistress." The secretary walked in, her eyes flashing behind a pair of glasses which she adjusted with delicate fingers. "What are your orders?"

"Continue surveillance on the areas that I told you about." The headmistress said as she rose from her desk, taking her device in hand. "Gather as much intel as you possibly could and send word to those in the field. Our enemy is currently two or three steps ahead of us."

"Yes Ma'am." The secretary tapped away on her device. "Anything else?"

"Mind the office while I head out." The headmistress spoke as she reached the door. "I'm gonna go see how my sweet granddaughter is doing."

 _This wound...it's worse than I imagined...It'd be a miracle if I just make it back to school grounds..._ I winced, leaning against a tree to catch my breath before making my way back to school grounds, my arm around my stomach. Suddenly I was overcome with nausea and staggered, retching phlegm and blood onto the grass. I left my opponent frozen in a thick chunk of ice, her mouth open in a silent scream. There's no doubt that her heart just froze immediately upon contact, thus she was no longer useful. Swallowing painfully I concentrated on breathing, counting to 10 before collapsing onto my side and blacked out, my necklace laying in the palm of my hand.

* * *

 _Elsewhere in the city..._

"Kyori was defeated. Frozen within a huge ice block with no hopes of being retrieved. She's a lost cause."

"That stupid bitch...always getting carried away in the heat of the battle."

"But she didn't die in vain because she accomplished what we sent her to do."

"What is your verdict, Boss?" Huddling within a warehouse was a large group of cloaked figures. In the center was a girl with blue-colored hair and she no doubt was the ringleader, a device in her hand as she finished watching the show. She took a deep breath before addressing her cult.

"Kyori was nothing more than a servant in the grand scheme of things but...she didn't do that bad in her performance. Indeed we should praise her as we proceed into the next phase."

"Oooo, tell us great leader."

"Show us the way!"

"We'll make our club bigger and better than before!" The girl held up a hand, calming the chanting down.

"While it's true that the headmistress has done us wrong and forbid us from returning to Mikagura Academy...we have more than enough forces to combat them. I didn't want to go against them head-first so taking out the most talented fighters is our best bet."

"Kurisu Naiteu was indeed one of the best out of all the juniors." Another voice spoke up, a male's as he looked through the data files on his device. "After all she was the closest friend of our one true enemy, the one who drove our club to its lowest state in the first place."

"I want to have a crack at her next." A female's voice growled. "I'll rough her up good, better than Kyori did. I'll use only my fists to break her until she's incapable of fighting."

"At ease...I'm sure she's trying to recover from her first taste of our power and it'd be impolite of us to go after the same foe twice in a row." The ringleader spoke although she couldn't help herself from smiling. "Why don't you pick another target instead, Lucoa?" The one known as Lucoa removed her hood, revealing shoulder-length red hair and burning ember eyes.

"That one." She sneered, pointing to Seisa's photo. "I'll go after her."

"The headmistress' granddaughter?"

"Are you insane?"

"Shut up!" Lucoa growled at the others. "I've chosen and I'll gladly hunt her down." She walked and knelt before the blue-haired girl. "Kanade, please grant me and only me permission to hunt her."

"Of course, she's all yours. However you'll need to do a lot of research on your opponent before you can kill her. Why don't you go and introduce yourself? I've enrolled you in the system as a new student."

"Yes, I won't fail you. In the end, I'll know my enemy better than she knows herself." Lifting up her hood the red-head took her leave, disappearing into the shadows. Kanade looked at the rest of her members with mild interest.

"The rest of you are free to terrorize anyone you want, make sure they have some sort of 'powers'. I won't allow you to attack random civilians until stated otherwise."

"Yes ma'am!"

 _How will you handle us this time, headmistress?_ Kanade smiled as she watched her plan come into motion. Propping her foot on the table she folded her arms behind her head and chuckled. _Mark my words, the Photography club is making its comeback and when we do, will your students be ready in time?_


	7. Chapter 6: Not quite a Heroine

**A/N** : Chapter 6 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Not quite a Heroine**

 _In the hospital..._

When I came to I realized that I was laying on a cot and not on the ground. The heartbeat monitor seemed to beat in the far distance but it was pretty normal. Reaching up with a hand I noticed bandages wrapped around my neck, sealing up the wound but it was a little restrictive when I tried to swallow. I also noticed a large amount wrapped around my midsection when I lifted my shirt, no doubt keeping my innards inside. Out of all the wounds I received that attack was the deadliest one, even deadlier than the slash I received to the throat. An IV was attached to my arm and I assumed that I couldn't eat solid foods for awhile which was quite inconvenient.

"Oh you're awake."

"W...Who...?" I looked up as a nurse walked in, calmly shutting the door behind her. "You're..."

"I'm your caretaker for the duration of your stay." The nurse spoke as she tended to me, a smile upon her face as she fluffed out my pillow. "I'm glad that you woke up."

"How did I...?"

"Your friend brought you in." She replied, putting a stethoscope against my chest to listen to my breathing as well as checking my temperature. "She's really strong enough to carry you here."

"My friend...?" I looked to see Nyamirin sleeping nearby, her arms folded into a make-shift pillow. She looked as if she hadn't been sleeping for awhile, noticeably the small bags under her eyes. "Nyamirin?"

"Oh man did the entire ward get a heart attack when she barged in, shouting for you to be healed. She even refused to leave and sat right outside the surgery room until they wheeled you out. I'm surprised the doctor allowed her to stay in the room with you." The nurse scribbled some things down on her clipboard before bidding me farewell. "Take it easy and I'll come back to check up on you later. Press that little button by your bedside if you need anything."

"Thank you." I nodded before turning my head to look at Nyamirin. _Had she not come then...I would've bleed out...or worse I would've died._ At that moment she let out a small noise and opened her eyes. Sitting up she rubbed the sleepiness and looked at me.

"Puppy-chan!" She squealed and immediately wrapped her arms around me. I winced when she choked me tight, pressing my face against her chest. "You're okay! I was so scared, you were bleeding all over! And you weren't responding to me so I rushed here as fast as I could!"

"T-Tight~!" I wheezed, patting her arm with a hand. "Too tight...!"

"But man oh man did you get your butt handed to you."

"Kyoma!" Nyamirin snapped once she released me, scowling at the blond. "Don't talk like that!"

"It's kinda true." The representative of the Art Club drank a box of milk calmly as he entered the room, leaning against the wall. "The video's been circulating around for awhile. Those first years wouldn't stop talking about it that it's hurting my ears."

"Those first years..." Nyamirin puffed out her cheeks and grumbled. "They should know not to believe every little thing on the internet."

 _Tch..._ I curled my hands into fists and looked down with fuming anger. _So she wasn't lying, everyone here has seen it..._

"However I don't believe that video truly represents who you are." The junior said calmly, tossing away the milk box into the trashcan. "I had a gut feeling that you were being manipulated to do what you did."

"Yeah, something like that..." I nodded my head as I calmed myself down, limiting the range of motion due to my neck. "It was really strange...my opponent was like possessed or something..."

"That's really peculiar." Kyoma put on his thinking face, drumming his fingers against his cheek. "Do you think something bad is about to happen?"

"I don't know...but it's a possibility. I'd be on the look out for anyone suspicious..."

"I could look into the archives but I'm not sure if the library has anything on it."

"Then I suggest we'll get going and do some research on the matter!" Nyamirin stood up and grabbed Kyoma's sleeve, pulling the boy out. I sighed, leaning my head back against the pillow. My mind was still scrambled with what had happened and that's when I noticed my necklace lying on the nearby table. I reached over and grabbed it, holding onto it tenderly with my hand. The chain that held it was destroyed and my heart dropped since everything related to my necklace came directly from Iliya-sama.

 _I'm gonna have to get a new chain for this pretty soon...  
_

* * *

 _Headmistress' Office...  
_

"Hmmmm, the headmistress is unusually late..." The secretary noted as she sat on the couch, one leg over the other with her device in hand. She had been re-watching the video, scribbling down notes of things she noticed or could put some more research into. "But that hooded girl...what is her intentions? Why did she pick a fight with one of our juniors?"

"Sorry for the delay, I got held up." The headmistress proclaimed as she shuffled in, followed by Seisa who closed the door. "My cute granddaughter was quite hard to find today for some reason."

"I told you I had things to take care of, Grandma." Seisa said as she took a seat, pouring herself a cup of tea. Bringing the cup to her lips she took a small sip before saying, "You know I'm busy and didn't expect you to come and find me."

"Ah ah, what do you call me when we're in a business environment?" The elder smiled mischievously as she sat down behind her desk.

"Headmistress."

"There's a good girl."

"Headmistress." The secretary cleared her throat, feeling bad about interrupting them but she needed to get something out of the way. "I've been looking at the video again and the opponent looked possessed."

"Possessed you say? Do explain."

"There were times where her eyes flashed, you know like how a camera works when you apply the flash filter, but it's very quick. I stepped out for a moment to have the Hacking Club slow down the video and increased the resolution on my phone just so I can see it. It's phenomenal how brilliant those students are with technology."

 _Like a camera..._ Seisa sat quietly to the side as she listened to the conversation but there was no doubt in her mind. Images of her past came up and she couldn't shake off the feelings of hurt and disgust. _It can't be...It can't be her..._

"Seisa? You may leave now." The headmistress spoke, noting that her granddaughter was trembling. "Get some rest."

"Umm...when are the visitation hours for the hospital?"

"Well if you were to go now you wouldn't have a lot of time." The secretary replied with a knowing look. "Why don't you wait for tomorrow? She's not gonna move very quickly."

"Before you go and see her, why don't you get her a gift of sorts?" The headmistress advised as Seisa got up to leave. "It'd look bad if you don't bring her something."

"I'll keep that in mind." was the response before the girl left. The headmistress then turned to look at her secretary.

"How long before our operators can retrieve the body in the ice?"

"Not long. I'm estimating about noon tomorrow they can get her back on our grounds."

"Good." The headmistress swiveled in her chair. "The sooner they can being the autopsy the better. We need every little detail possible."

* * *

 _Back in the hospital..._

 _Knock~ Knock~ Knock~_

"Come in." I spoke, putting down the book I was reading with a bookmark in it. I touched the button earlier and asked my caretaker for a book since I didn't want to be bored out of my mind. One of my ears twitched with surprise when Eruna and Bimii walked in, or in the latter's case: floated in. "Oh it's you two. What a pleasant surprise."

"Senpai, are you okay?" asked Eruna as she took a seat next to me, twiddling her thumbs together. "I heard you got into a huge fight..."

"Yeah...it wasn't my best performance..." I admitted, scratching the back of my head with my arm. "It just go to show that I need to improve and get back into the swing of things."

"That's gonna be hard to do Senpai. All of the first years and some of the sophomores are spreading things all over campus. I don't think you threatening them will work anymore." Eruna told me. "Also this is actually my first time seeing you without your hoodie." Had I been wearing it the IV wouldn't be inserted into my arm so I couldn't blame the hospital there. "You look strikingly beautiful in my opinion."

"...I didn't expect anything less, the others talking about the video I mean." I rubbed my temples, allowing my long dark-blue hair with silver streaks to tumble down my front. "Also thanks for the compliment, you're the second one to tell me that." Taking a moment to breathe I asked, "Is there anything I can do about that video?"

"Not that I would know, you'd have to talk to the head mistress ryui~" Bimii said, sitting on the edge of the bed with his wings folded over his back. "Of course with the entire campus in an uproar over the video I'd advise you to lay low for awhile."

"Seeing as I'm bound to this bed I can't move until I'm fully healed. But I don't plan on moving anytime soon." Then I turned my attention to Eruna. "You're usually more cheerful and upbeat. What happened today?"

"Well...I'm back to not being part of any club after fighting against Seisa-senpai." She said sadly, gazing at the floor. "She shattered my crystals instantly before I had a chance to even come close to shooting one of hers."

"I though I told you to cheer up ryui~" Bimii commented, drawing a paw over his ear. "Like I said, the results was bad but you getting depressed over it was uncharacteristic."

"But everything was okay because Kuzuryu-senpai appeared and gave me one of his milk boxes." Eruna beamed with happiness. "He told me to not give up and that what happened to me would've happened to any new student. I also kinda told him I couldn't drink milk and wanted something a little more expensive...he blew up in my face. I guess I was too ambitious in trying to actually best Seisa-senpai."

"Mmmmm...but at least you got a taste of how she fights. That's a good step forward. If I were to guess I bet Kyoma said something along the lines of, 'Your ability is incomplete.'"

"No way! Senpai are you a psychic or something?!"

"He told me at one time. You see, we may be fellow juniors but we've had our share of fights among each other. At the time he bested me because he had more battle experience than I and said the same words. It always stuck in my mind since then and I've tried to improve. If anything...the fight reminded me just how much I still have to learn." I told her. _Also...Kyoma trying to cheer her up...now that's precious...I'll probably tease him about it the next time he visits._

"By the way, I realized that none of the clubs I've visited fit my style after the practice match. So umm...if I make a new club, would you like to join?" Eruna looked at me hopefully, using her puppy-dog charms to win me over. "Oh please of please say that you will. All I need is at least three members."

"Isn't finding members quite hard this time of the year?" I looked at Bimii as I said so, getting a head nod of agreement. "Not to mention losing a practice match isn't reputable..."

"That's exactly what Kuzuryu said, you two really know each other so well."

"I actually don't know a damn thing about art." _Not to mention I'm not letting up my own club obligations..._

"You'd be surprised at what you're capable of ryui~"

"Have you considered the Rookie battle?" I asked Eruna and ignoring Bimii's comment. "Good results in there will get you attention and possibly new members."

"Of course! I aim for nothing less than 1st place!"

 _Why am I not surprised...? At least she's cheerful again..._

"Hey Senpai...What's that?" Eruna pointed to the necklace on the table, curiosity brimming in her eyes. "Is it yours? Who gave it to you?"

"I wear it everyday, no question about that." I told her, watching as she carefully picked it up and looked at it from every angle. "It was given by someone very important so it means a lot to me."

"Who's Iliya? Is she your friend?" Eruna lightly moved her finger across the name etched on the tag before looking at me. "Did she come here before?"

"She was more than just a friend, she was like a big sister to me." I replied with fondness in my voice. It has been a long time since I talked to someone about her. "We hung out every single chance we got. To me she was my goddess...much like how Seisa's yours. I'd devote my everything to her, for her with no questions asked. We were inseparable."

"What happened to her?" My features darkened and I clammed up immediately. The temperature in the room dropped at the question. "S-S-Senpai, you're making the room cold! I'm gonna freeze!"

"...sorry...but I don't want to talk about it...The past just hurts too much..." I replied icily before gesturing to the ice-covered table. "Please put it down."

"O-Of course..." She said meekly and did as told. I sighed, lifting the cold and the temperature returned to normal. Reaching out I rested a hand on her head and smiled wearily.

"One day, I'll tell you all about it but now is not the time."

"Senpai..."

"Thank you both for coming to see me." I thanked them as they rose to leave, visitation hours are strictly regulated on the orders from the hospital. "Do come back again."

"You know I will!" She chirped before an excited look crossed her face. "Also, Seisa-senpai allowed me to sleep inside her mansion!"

"No way..." I quirked an eyebrow at her in mild disbelief. "She actually allowed you in?"

"Yup, although she said I had to sleep inside my sleeping bag in the hallway."

"Now that sounds just like her..." I chuckled before bidding my guests goodbye. I didn't expect to see them and I felt drained. Closing my eyes I soon fell into slumber and slept my fatigue away.


	8. Chapter 7: Apathetic Coup d'Etat

**A/N** : Chapter 7 of _The Cold's Shards._ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

 **Warning** : This is a yuri fic. I forgot to put this warning here lol.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Apathetic Coup d'Etat**

 _Flashback..._

"Big Brother Yuto! Big Brother Yuto!"

"Hm?"

"Let's play Super Miracle Man! Super Miracle Man's uncle, who saw his true identity, is trying to make money by writing a tell-all book about it!"

"That guy's terrible."

 _I liked patting my little brother on the head. He was innocent and friendly, and made friends quickly. On the other hand, I was the complete opposite. If my brother was always out front, then I was always in the back...I'm sure that's why..._

"What about big brother Yuto? He's not coming with us?"

"He's going to live with Papa." A female answered as the faceless woman within his dreams spoke, not bothering to turn around to face him unlike his younger brother. "Come on, let's go."

"Big brother Yuto!"

 _That's right. Because I am a failure who can't smile properly, Mama didn't need me._ Yuto opened his eyes as he remember the terrible incident from his childhood, gazing up at the ceiling in silence. _The one Mama needed was my perfect little brother._ Shaking the sleepiness away he got out of bed and shuffled to a little mirror on the cabinet, looking at his frowning reflection. Slapping a hand over his mouth he put on a 'smile'.

"All right, I'm smiling properly. I'm acing like a Yuto Akama that anyone would like. In order to fool others, I have to start with myself. I even have to fool myself." Arms trembling he raised them to his face, gazing into his now smiling reflection. "That's right...This is the apathetic...Solitary Coup d'Etat!" Nodding to himself he got dressed and left to meet with the Drama Club. They were all crowded outside of his room and greeted their leader with smiles of their own.

"I heard Eruna is training with Himi in the practice room." Nyamirin said as they walked over together to watch the practice match, arms folded behind her head in a nonchalant manner. "They should be done about now~"

"Ahhhh, I still can't get my special attack to work at all." A defeated voice reached their ears and they knew it was Eruna's. The first year was laying on her back with sweat glistening on her skin. "It's more difficult than I anticipated."

"This is your real ability, ryui." Bimii spoke as he floated over to her, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You aren't able to use your power to the fullest yet, ryui."

"Awwww..."

"Oh, Ichinomiya! You're working hard, aren't you?" Yuto spoke up as he showed up at the door with his club mates around him. "How's it going? Were you beat up?"

"It's not even a matter of getting beat up anymore!" She replied as Himi stood beside her, prompting him to walk over as well. Soon the rest of the Drama Club followed suit and they all crowded around the first year. "It's like I've lost sight of how I'm supposed to fight in the first place!"

"Even with that, you were still trying to take advantage of the confusion and touch weird places, huh?" Himi asked, a smile upon her own face.

"I can't win the rookie battle like this! Which means I can't make my ideal club!" Eruna whined, flailing her limbs out like a fish out of water. Then she sat up, attempting to grab Himi who held her back with the tip of her large brush. "Ah, I want to practice more! I want to touch!"

"Nyaaaaa~ Oh yeah, what do you think of doing a class for club battle beginners?" Nyamirin suggested after stretching, getting glances from her club mates. "Eruna's an interesting kid, and we'd be coaching the first years from the drama club, too. So it'll be a win-win situation for all of us!"

"Oh, great idea!" Usamaru claimed, his eyes lighting up with fiery passion. The black-haired first year added a little hop as he continued, the crown-less white cap flopping out to the side as he bounced. "Leave it up to Nyamirin to come up with brilliant plans."

"It'd be good motivation." Tonkyun agreed. He was also a first year, notably seen wearing a pig beanie with a pink scarf and headphones placed around his shoulders. The bangs of his white hair were tucked underneath his beanie by a red hair pin and he also wears a mask to conceal half his face. "I could use some of that myself."

"I think it'll be a good, rowr!" Kumano-san spoke up. She was a second-year student whose red hair was tied into twin tails. Her most cherished item is her bear cap which she wears all the time. "They'll get first hand experience from us, rowr!"

"Hmm...well, if it's just until the rookie battle..." Yuto mulled over the thought, uncertain even though the rest of his club seemed to be in favor of the idea.

"Please allow me to take the class!" Eruna hopped to her feet immediately, looking at them with determination. "I'll show you all what I'm capable!"

"Then it's decided!" Nyamirin clapped her hands before Yuto could say anything. "This is gonna be great!"

"I can't wait to start!"

"Where do you think you're talking to?! My coaching is brutal, rowr!" Kumano-san said, snapping irritably when she realized that the first year was ogling Nyamirin's breasts. _So now I have a rival for Nyamirin-senpai's breasts? Not gonna happen, I'll show her!_ "I'm relentless, rowr!"

"Kyaa~ This one is cute too!" Eruna squealed when she realized that the smaller of the two had addressed her.

"Prepare yourself, rowr!"

"This has bothered me for awhile, but you're not bear-like at all, are you?" The first-year said it so casually and with a smile on her face that she was unaware of the consequences that could follow. "Also, don't you think ending your sentences with 'rowr' is forcing it a little?"

"Oh no! Stop!" Usamaru stepped in and whispered in her ear. "Because her beloved Nyamirin decided that she was a bear, Kumano-senpai tries hard every day to fit the bear character! You really offended her by saying those words!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The red-haired girl burst into tears and began throwing things. "I know it's a weird way to end my sentences! But this was the only way I could think of to show my personality in the drama club! Waaah!"

"You've stopped using the weird ending." Eruna commented nervously but that just seemed to make the second-year cry harder.

"Nyamirin-senpai!"

"There, there." The third-year comforted her, holding the crying second-year against her body and stroked her hair in a soothing manner. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Oh man, things are gonna be noisy around here pretty soon..." Yuto scratched the back of his head as he watched the entertainment. "What am I to do with those kids...?"

"Ah, Akama-senpai?" A voice called him and when he turned he felt as though he was looking at his younger brother. Upon closer inspection it was just Asuhi from the Astronomy club. "Sorry about yesterday, I lost in such an embarrassing way...I need to improve myself if I were to have a chance in the rookie battle."

"It's fine." Yuto smiled, trying to calm his nerves. He was so immerse with his childhood that he almost forget the match fight he had with the boy the other day. "Don't worry about it."

"Then please, excuse me!" Bowing to his senior the boy rushed off and Yuto's smile turned into a small frown that didn't go unnoticed by Eruna. Before she could say anything about it, she was dragged away by Kumano-san to get her measurements done.

* * *

 _At the hospital..._

"There you go. Nice easy steps. There's no need to rush." The nurse was by my side, making sure I didn't fall. She came by early after I had a couple visits from other students to start my treatment, stating that my injuries shouldn't hinder my movement and getting a few exercises in would do me some good. "You're improving every time I see you."

"I think I'm getting the hang of it, not as bad as I originally thought." I mused, taking a few more steps forward before stopping. I did worry about the seams bursting and me not being able to walk or fight anymore but with the surgeons and doctors, my stitches held together nicely. I didn't have to worry about my guts spilling anymore."Won't be long before I'm ready to go back out."

"Although you should come back to eat at the hospital and not go to the cafeteria, can't eat solid foods yet and there's no way you can eject the substances by yourself."

"Ahhh, such a nuisance." I groaned, aware of my situation regarding food and nutrient intake. If my throat hadn't been slashed I wouldn't be having this sort of problem in the first place!

"Eating ice cream every day isn't healthy either, just so you are aware of what you're giving your body."

"H-H-How did you know about that?"

"Your friend told me when I asked her about your diet since you were asleep for quite some time. She was worried that you don't battle as often as you should and that you are now surviving on whatever points you have left."

 _Nyamirin you're so dead when I get my hands on you!_ I growled under my breath, imagining shaking her vigorously between my two hands. _How dare you come between me and my ice cream galore!_

"Oh, Headmistress I didn't see you there." The nurse turned to greet someone, jolting me out of my thoughts. "And I see that Mikagura-chan is with you too. Is today a check up for her?"

 _Huh?_ I turned to see the two visitors standing before us. _Well that's a surprise, the headmistress never leaves her office unless it's something important._

"How is she doing Midori?" The headmistress asked when she addressed the nurse. "I assume she is recovering quite well?"

"She's doing well above our expectations." Midori replied with a smile, tapping a pen against her clipboard. "Her wounds have been sealed and are healing nicely. They may form scars unfortunately, the one going across her abdomen for sure since it was a really deep cut, but we'll have to see once the bandages are removed."

"How unfortunate for this to have happened, especially to one of my juniors." The headmistress made a small clicking noise with her tongue. "I have sent out a message that every student should receive in regards to the situation. After all, the rookie battle is coming up soon and they should be more focus on that."

"And after that would most likely be the junior battle." Midori looked at me with a confident expression. "I'm sure you'll be healed in time for that. Isn't that exciting?"

"No...I'm not sure if I should feel excited..."

"Are you feeling okay? Upset stomach?" Midori asked with worry. "I don't remember giving you anything to give you any discomfort..."

"That fight with that cloaked figure...proved that I still have lots to learn." I said sadly, tightening my hands into fists. "If anything...I couldn't control myself and made a mockery of the school. I went against the law you put in place, Headmistress."

"You poor thing...still traumatized by what happened back then..."

 _Traumatized?_ Seisa thought as she watched her grandmother place a hand over my own. _What happened back in Senpai's past? Grandmother wouldn't even tell me and Senpai doesn't really express herself often..._

"It's not easy to forget, I understand...That kind of scar will not heal by any normal treatment, not even emotional treatment." The headmistress spoke quietly, giving my hand a squeeze. "You carry it around as a reminder, a reminder to yourself to never let such a thing to happen again. But today I make this trip to see you because I felt as though I was wrong to put that law in place."

"Headmistress..."

"You got hurt and you could have died because you've stuck to the rules of this school, one particular rule that was meant to keep this place safe. You even held onto her even longer." Her eyes noticed the necklace sticking out of my pocket and was no longer around my neck. "Your loyalty goes way beyond what I'm capable of comprehending, it's something I took for granted."

"Headmistress!" I looked in shock as she collapsed to her knees before me, head bowed. Midori and Seisa watched with their own jaws hanging open. "W-Why...Why are you doing this...?"

"Forgive me...for putting your life in danger. For letting the enemy know that they could use a rule that I made against my students. I feel like I had failed you all as headmistress."

"Don't say that, I'd do anything for this school and you know that." I winced, kneeling and placing my hands on her shoulders. "Please raise your head. It was my fault for getting carried away and leaving myself open for an attack. It's not your fault for my carelessness."

"You're strong my child." She said as I helped her to her feet, smiling a bit. "Seisa, would you be a dear and help her to her room while I talk with Madori?"

"Yes, Headmistress." Seisa replied.

"Actually I don't want to be an inconvenience. I can make it back on my own." I spoke up quickly, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "Mikagura-san is probably busy anyways so I wouldn't want to keep her any longer."

"Well if that's alright with you...then allow her to give you a gift. It's the least she could do." The headmistress spoke, folding her hands over one another.

"Here, Senpai." Seisa replied and approached me, a basket in hand. "I...I brought you some fruits since whatever you've been eating isn't...healthy."

 _Ack, how come everyone is critiquing me on my food damn it!_ I stumbled a bit before realigning myself, allowing my hand to raise and wrapping around the handle. Our eyes met briefly, dark brown against ice blue and I felt as though my breath was lodged in my throat. My hands felt clammy and I resisted the urge to wipe them on my hospital pants.

 _Ba-dum~ Ba-dum~ Ba-dum~_

 _Why the hell is my heart racing? I really need to keep my mind out of the gutter..._

 _Senpai looks really good without her coat, this is actually my first time seeing her entirely..._ Seisa thought, stealing glances at me. _Oh what am I thinking about? This is so unlike me..._

"Thank you for the gift." I said, wishing my blush would go away.

"Anytime, Senpai." She replied, turning her head to the side. I could see a small blush on her face but it disappeared just as quickly. Smiling a bit she turned away and walked back with her hands behind her back. I watched her disappear before a thought crossed my mind.

 _I can't eat solid material right now...I should probably ask Midori to blend them for me after she talks to the headmistress..._

* * *

 _Elsewhere in school..._

"No way, I get to wear a costume as well?! So that's what all the measurements were for." Eruna stated with excitement, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. "A lovely squirrel? A lone wolf, since I'm not a part of the drama club? What about a gorilla? Don't you think I'd pull off a good gorilla?"

 _As much as I would like her to shut her mouth a gorilla suit would look hilarious on her._ Kumano-san thought with a grin. _What I wouldn't give to see her in one._

"Okay guys, roll call!" Yuto called before clearing his throat. "After-School Red, Yuto Akama!"

"After-School Subsection Chief, Nyamirin!"

"After-School Peace Officer, Kumano, rowr!" Kumano spoke. "Growl!"

"After-School Makushita 2nd Division, Tonkyun. My real name is-"

"After-School Private, Usamaru!"

"After-School Konjac Noodles, Eruna Ichinomiya! The six of us are-" Eruna smiled as she and the Drama Club members did their entrance poses. "The After-School Six!"

"I...I want to go home..." Yuto sighed as the rest of the crew got into acting their parts. _This is hella embarrassing._ "Oi Ichinomiya, you have to do your special attack properly. Once more!"

"Ehhh?! Okay!" She looked at him with shock from atop of a stuffed horse prop. She took aim with her finger and shouted, "Tension max! Tension max! Tension max! Tension ma—"

"What's wrong, After-School Konjac Noodles, rowr?" Kumano-san ran over when Eruna fell over and the horse collapsed on top of her. Usamaru and Tonkyun stepped in and all four of them proceeded into the dramatic ending, smiles upon their faces.

"Come on, come on, stand up and do it again." Yuto yelled from the sidelines, clapping his hands to get their attention. "There were mistakes even if they were subtle to the naked eye so hopefully this time there won't be any! Move it move it!"

"W...What is this ryui?" Bimii frowned as he watched the action unsure of what to say. _This is supposed to help them prepare for the rookie battle ryui? I can't wait to see what happens when the actual battle starts._ Throughout the course of the week the Drama Club members and Eruna did their best, rehearsing through scripts and eating a lot of food to keep their stamina up. Despite all the laughs and mishaps they had a really good time and improved little by little.

"So...this is the school that Kyori infiltrated? Wow, look at how much it has changed the last time I attended here, such a nostalgic feeling." Lucoa mused as she stood in front of the gate, gazing up at the building with thought. She was wearing the regular uniform for girls with her hair tied up into a high pony tail. A pair of red-rimmed glasses was resting across the brim of her nose and she casually pushed it up with a finger, a nasty glint flashed through her eyes. "Let the hunt begin then. I'll do a much better job than Kyori did."


	9. Chapter 8: Rookie Battle Start!

**A/N** : Chapter 8 of _The Cold's Shard_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Rookie Battle Start!**

 _Outside..._

"Thanks for waiting freshmen ladies and gentlemen!" Shigure spoke excitedly as he addressed the crowd of students in the stadium. He was more than honored to be this year's host for the rookie battle that he nearly squealed with joy. "It's my honor to reveal the tournament brackets for the rookie battle! The MC will be me, president and representative of the Manga Research club! Shigure Ninomiya!"

"Kyaaaa!"

"Ninomiya-senpai!"

"He's so handsome!"

"Good grief those girls need more information about Shigure's true perverted nature..." Eruna frowned since the shrieking and yelling was deafening. She picked a seat as far away from the stage as possible but even then...it didn't help her in the long run once he spotted her.

"Eruna! I've found you in the midst of a few hundred million people!"

"Oh, that's so embarrassing. If there were a hole, I'd want to bury him so deep no one could help him."

"Then he'd die, ryui." Bimii replied but could understand her reasons to do such a heinous act should she choose to go through with it.

"Yoohoo, Konjac Noodles!" Nyamirin called out, getting the girl to walk over to where the members of the Drama Club stood.

"Where's Akama? Without him we're just the After-School Five!" Eruna looked around in curiosity, trying to find the beanie-wearing boy. "It's not like him to be a no show..."

"He's absent today, apparently." Tonkyun replied. "It would be quite an inconvenience but we should trust his decision to not show up."

"It's too bad! Since tomorrow's the rookie battle, today's the last day for the After-School Six." Usamaru commented while Kumaro-san agreed with a dip of a head. "And here I was hoping we'll be able to play even longer!"

"And now, we'll reveal the tournament brackets!" Shigure's voice floated through and grabbed their attention. A large panel appeared on the large screen, filled with the names of all the first years. "Wow, look at all the nice choices!"

"Ugh it's too far, I can't see a thing!" Eruna complained as she leaned against the rails. "It's either I went up there to see better or get embarrassed by Shigure or stand back here and can't see a darn thing!"

"You can see it on your device, too." Tonkyun spoke up, scrolling through his device as he said so. "Check it out."

"Hmm? Oh...that's actually smart, why didn't I think about that?" Whipping out her own device Eruna pressed the new message and looked at it. "So my opponent is...K-Katai!"

"Huh? The new member of the Art Club?"

"The same one you guys bonded over sleeping bags with near the beginning?"

"Y-Yeah...This is..." She clenched her hands together with happiness. "I feel like things will get more and more interesting!" She turned to address the Drama Club. "Like it or not, this is the end. After-School Six, let's review everything today!"

"Yuto...I wonder if he's lost..." Nyamirin thought as the rest got into their victory pose, worry laced within her voice. "I think he'll be okay..."

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"Make sure you come by in case you feel any discomfort, no matter how small. It's best to catch it before it turns into something worse." Midori told me as I dressed myself, scribbling something down upon her clipboard. "I would still advise you to avoid any solids but within another few days or so I'm sure you'd be okay. You would still need to come in so I can give you nutrients but I'm sure you'll live by drinking a protein shake every morning."

"Oh man...that's a bit harsh don't you think? I haven't had anything–" I said but the look she gave me told me not to go against her instructions. "Okay fine. You're the doctor."

"Damn right I am and it's my job to make sure everyone is healthy and fit for battling." Handing me a slip she escorted me to the door and waved me out. "Now don't be a stranger~ I hope to see you again when you need me!"

 _So despite me not being able to eat solids, I think the rookie battle is starting off well._ I scrolled through my device while carrying around a bottle filled with juice, looking through all the pairings. Midori gave me a huge box filled with protein shake mix as well as instructions on how to make them. _But this shake isn't that bad...I really hope I can eat solids soon..._

"Kyaa!" A noise brought my attention back and I noticed a girl sitting in front of my feet, rubbing her rear end. "Watch where you're going! You trying to run me over or what?!"

"Sorry. You okay?" I asked as I put my device away, offering her the hand that wasn't occupied by my drink. "I didn't knock you down that hard did I?"

 _Well what do you know, I ran into her the moment I started to wonder around the school._ Lucoa smiled coyly, taking my hand and stood back up. _I can't tell if I'm lucky or if this is just by coincidence...I hope she doesn't see through my thoughts, otherwise I'd be in serious trouble. I'd have to lay low then...test the water so to speak..._

"You're squeezing my hand too hard." I noted and she released me. _Man what a grip...she's strong..._

"Sorry about that, I was just nervous. This is after all, my first time here at this lovely school."

"Really? Then you came at the right time, the rookie tournament is going on."

"Rookie Tournament? Now that's something exciting, but unfortunately I can't participate in them. You see I'm a sophomore."

"So you got some of your courses done over at your old school?" I questioned, nodding my head once. "That's pretty nice."

"Oh where are my manners it's really nice to meet you. My name's Lucoa." She smiled broadly, the whites of her teeth flashing brilliantly against the light. "I'm a transfer student so I hope that we'll be the best of friends."

"I'm–"

"I know who you are, Kurisu Naiteu-senpai." She laughed merrily when I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Don't look so surprise, you are practically famous from where I came from."

"Huh? Me?"

"Well then, I'll gonna go and find the headmistress, I was suppose to be there a few minutes ago for some kind of room confirmation." She walked off, waving a hand in farewell. "See you around Senpai~"

 _She's a strange one...almost all the freshmen are this year. I thought as I watched her disappear._ Shrugging my shoulders I continued walking before coming to a stop. Lifting up my hand I gazed at it in wonder. _Her grip was strong...stronger than any sophomore I'd know and there's obviously something about her that doesn't seem right. I should watch myself...and watch out for her should there be future conflicts._

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

Yuto sat beside a pound that was shrouded with trees, staring at his reflection. The area was his sanctuary and only he and at least two others know about the place. His knees bent and his arms resting around them, he could only put on his usual 'smile'. The sound of footsteps approaching him reached his ears, indicating that he had a visitor and he noticed that it was Seisa based on her reflection that appeared next to his.

"It's unusual for you to show your face at school." He spoke, starting the conversation off light.

"It's unusual for you to be by yourself." She countered just as lightly.

"I was just trying to work out a plan for my acting."

"What kind of role is it?"

"It's a tough one. He's loved by everyone, needed by everyone." He admitted as he described to her what he was feeling. "That's what he wants for himself, too. But then one day, someone who sees through his facade and a boy similar to him shows up. Every time he looks at him, he realizes...that he's just copying that innocent smile. It irritates him and makes him scared. He's afraid that the mask will be peeled away someday, and no one will need him anymore."

 _Is he...alluding to himself?_ Seisa thought but waited for him to finish telling his story.

"His memories of the past are making him suffer." Yuto hugged his knees closer. "It's preventing him from going forward and he's at a standstill. No road to go anymore."

"If it were me, I would deny that past." She spoke, getting him to turn his head in curiosity. "I would pretend it never happened. The people I met then, the scenes I saw...everything."

"Hmm...is that so?" He mused before glancing back at the pound. After sitting there for a majority of the day he thanked Seisa for keeping him company and walked back to the club. When he stepped in he didn't expect Eruna to meet him there. "Huh, you're still here?"

"Yup!"

"Oh man, it's gonna be really awkward knowing this place won't be as noisy as normal." He laughed nonchalantly. "I really hate saying goodbyes like this..."

"It's not a goodbye! Once I start my new club, I'll bring my club members over!" Eruna promised, clenching her fingers tight into fists. "Then we'll be battling, got it?!" He looked at her once, blinked, and then laughed but this laugh was genuine.

"There's just one thing I'd like you to tell me. You realized, didn't you, Ichinomiya?"

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you say anything even though you realized everything was just an act? Why didn't you try to leave me?"

"Just because...Just because I realized something like that doesn't mean we're not friends anymore." She replied, tilting her head in confusion as to why he'd ask her a question like that. "Besides I think the other club members all realized, too."

"Eh?"

"We're back!" Usamaru announced loudly as he and the others filed in, a huge grin on his face. "Oh A-Akama! You're here!"

"Oh it's Yuto! We've missed you!"

"Where did you go to cry this time, rowr!"

"If you didn't come, we'd have to eat all the food ourselves."

"Welcome back!" Eruna greeted with enthusiasm and rushed over to help lay out everything on the table. "We thought we'd hold an After-School Six disbanding ceremony."

"What would you like to drink, Akama?" Tonkyun asked as he reached for a bag that held the beverages. "By the way there's no pork miso soup."

"But there's pork bone noodle soup, though." Nyamirin held up a bag with a small apologetic smile. That spurred laughter and even Yuto himself cracked one as he walked over to join them. The Drama Club sat down like one huge family and celebrated their little party.


	10. Chapter 9: School Fantasia

**A/N** : Chapter 9 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

 **Warning** : This is a yuri story.

* * *

 **Chapter 9: School Fantasia**

 _The next day..._

Once the Rookie Battle took off the entire place was in an uproar as many students rushed around trying to get good seats for the multiple battles that were happening. Vendors ran by students or faculty filled the mall space and the aroma of food was really enticing. It was such a mess and crowded that I decided to just watch whomever was on through the broadcast system from the comfort of my own room. I could go out to grab something to eat before scuttling back to the sanctuary that was my room...or at least that's what I thought I could do. I got a text from Midori just after leaving the vendors and had to turn back around to look for what she wanted.

"Well color me surprise, you actually came out of your room huh Puppy?"

"Yes, watching the battles firsthand has lured the beast out. Of course the aroma of the flowers are in full bloom this time of the year."

"Kyoma. And I see that Sadamatsu's with you. Weird pairing if you ask me." I turned to greet the two third years, a bag of food in my hand. "I was on my way to the hospital, since I can't eat any solids yets. Of course I had to pick up some food for Midori, she's taken a liken to one of the seafood vendors so lucky for me the lines were short. And hey, don't call me Puppy it makes me feel like an animal or something."

"The nurse? Oh she must've taken cared of you while you were in the hospital." Sadamatsu noted with a small smile on his face. "What a nice child, she's a blessing for all of us."

"How were you able to purchase the food? You rarely do battles last time I checked." Kyoma asked me. "It takes points you know."

"Midoryi told me that I could use hers since I'm doing her a favor. Don't worry about it."

"Look at you, running errands. And you said you weren't a dog..."

"I will rip the flower right out of the ground the next time we fight." I growled at Sadamatsu, my eyes flashing dangerously. "I've been able to penetrate your defenses quite easily in the last junior battle, or have you forgotten?"

"Huh? Isn't that the Rookie?" Kyoma asked as he looked over my shoulder, one eyebrow arched in surprise. I turned and saw Eruna talking with Seisa, the first year waving her arms excitedly. "And what do you know she's talking with Mikagura of all people."

"It's amazing that she's also strolling out into the open right Kuzuryuu-san?" Sadamatsu questioned, watching the two of them interact as well. "She most certain spends her time inside that mansion of hers with Kurumi."

"And poor Bimii, struggling under the weight of all that food." I noted the amount of food boxes placed on his back. "I know she won her battle but she must've used a lot of points."

"Seems to me you're right." Kyoma said as the first year collapsed in depression, pulling out a milk box and poked his straw in it. "Well at least now she knows and won't make that mistake again."

"It's quite a common mistake so I wouldn't blame her. And now it looks like Mikgaura-san is stuck with her for the duration of the day." Sadamatsu chuckled as the two girls walked off. "Well then, shouldn't you go and see that nurse? I'm sure she's starving after looking after those who lost their battles."

"Oh right. Then what are you two gonna do?" I asked them.

"Well we have our own vending areas to attend to." Sadamatsu answered immediately. "It's kinda lonely being the only member though..."

"I have others looking after the art stand so I'm gonna go and look around some more."

"Then I'll talk to you guys later I guess." I waved goodbye to them and hustled towards the hospital. _I hope I didn't leave her hanging for too long..._

"Thank you Naiteru-san for giving me food! You're my saving grace!" Midori squealed as I walked up to her. She was hanging around the lobby when I entered and her face lit up like the fourth of July. "You have no idea how many contenders I had to look at, I barely had time for a break. Luckily the next set of battles happen around 12 so that gives me about an hour of rest."

"Poor you."

"I know right?!" She posed dramatically before trying to jump me. "Only you know my pain!"

"I don't...and you're too close." I pushed her away, keeping an arm-length distance between us. "Also you said you'd help me put nutrients into my body."

"Right! Stay still!" Pulling out a small packet from inside her coat as well as a clean needle she injected into my veins the nutrients. "Now I don't recommend doping so you better hurry up and heal so you can eat like a normal person."

"Trust me I would love to eat properly as well." I extended and bent my arm to test it out. "Strange, I thought it would hurt..."

"Nah, it's just a normal injection." Midori smiled and ushered me out, eyeing the food I left on her counter. "Don't you have your own shop to tend too? It's been a long time since you've made ice sculptures for the festival. You had to use some special materials to keep your ice from melting though..."

"Don't need to remind me about that, luckily I still have some saved from last year and the year before that." I sighed, scratching the back of my head with a free hand. "I guess I should go and see if there's actually anyone who bothered to stop by."

"You know the headmistress may disband the club if they don't raise enough points or funds..."

"The club would have disbanded the moment Iliya-sama died...but I'm still keeping it alive." I curled my hands into a fists and stormed out. "I would like to see her try and take it away from me."

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

"Yakisoba, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, takoyaki, and more takoyaki!" Eruna exclaimed as she named off all the food vendors. She was in a very happy mood, winning her battle but also walking with her goddess.

"Your choices seem very skewed, ryui..." Bimii commented dryly.

"Seisa-senpai, what do you want to eat?"

"I want to eat something sweet." came the response and she went off to get some takoyaki beef with sweet sauce. Mmmmm this is delicious. They walked around and found the Sadamatsu's club hoisting a shooting game with all of his personal belongings. Having stepping up to the challenge, Seisa one herself a plush cuttlefish, second affectionate thing aside from Miracle Man.

"Hey Seisa-senpai, what's that?" Eruna pointed to a vacant shop. It wasn't as cheerful as the others, even the colors weren't as bright as the others so it didn't really capture a lot of attention. "Night Patrol Club? How come I've never heard of it before? Is it a new club?"

"It's one of Mikagura School's older clubs, according to the headmistress." Seisa noted as they huddled around the booth. "Way before you and I joined it was a very good club."

"How come there's no one tending to it?" Eurna asked, looking around in wonder. "Who is in charge of it?"

"That would be me." They turned their heads as I walked up, hands in my pocket. Going behind the drapery I sat down and watched them carefully. "How may I help you?"

"Senpai, what does the Night Patrol Club do?" The first-year questioned as she pointed to the sign. "Do you guys like stalk other people?"

"Stalking isn't something the headmistress emphasizes. We patrol the school grounds to make sure non-students aren't welcomed." I explained, taking note on how Seisa stifled a laugh at the word 'stalk'. "Because it's a night activity and the members would sleep during class we were forced to cut down the hours."

"Senpai, you keep saying 'we' but you're the only one here."

"Heh...old habit I guess." I replied, glancing off to the side in wonder. _An old habit...I've only been to this fair once...and that was with Iliya-sama..._

"Are you going to make ice sculptures again?" Seisa asked, bringing me back to reality. "It's been awhile since you have done any."

"Huh?! Ice sculptures?!" Eruna exclaimed with excitement, looking between her and I. "I've never seen ice sculptures before!"

"I have a couple of samples..." Leaning down to see a box underneath I pulled out four containers and sat them on the table. There was a sculpture of a swan, a girl, a trumpet and an angel. "I've kept these in the freezer for quite some time but they should be fine outside for at least a year or two. If you see them starting to melt I suggest putting it in the freezer."

"Oooo! These are really pretty! Senpai have you ever made a life-size sculpture?" Eruna asked me.

"Life-size...I don't have a container big enough..."

"Cause if you did I'd like a life-size ice sculpture of Seisa-senpai! And perhaps have her kissing me on the cheek~"

 _Why am I not surprised? And her fantasies are getting a little out of hand..._ I frowned slightly as she was lost in her fantasy world. Even Seisa herself kept her mouth tight-lipped.

"Then may I have an ice-sculpture of me, ryui?" Bimii asked. Holding out my hand I created a rather large slab of ice in the palm of my hand. Taking a pick and hammer from the box I looked at Bimii once and then focused on the block of ice. With the image already burned in the front of my mind I began to carve. Working out the rough edges until they were smoothed I continuously tapped and chipped away at the ice. I worked diligently but efficiently and produced a replica of what he had asked, detail and all with a little facial expression to give it life.

"Senpai, you're amazing!" Eruna said as I gift wrapped the ice in a special container.

"Thank you for your patronage." I said as he transferred the points to me. Small figurines cost 50 points while animals cost 30 points. If students wanted ice sculptures of themselves down the smallest of details I charged 2500 points. If they just wanted a figurine of themselves without that much detail I charged 1000 points. If students wanted them as gifts I charge 70 points plus a small note handwritten by me. If some wanted more than one sculpture I charge full price for one plus half price of the second. Since the first years normally don't have that many points I usually give them a small sculpture for free.

"You really did get everything down to the details ryui!" Bimii smiled as he looked at the gift, his tail wagging back and forth with glee. "Totally worth it ryui!"

"Huh? Isn't that...Sadamatsu's cuttlefish?" I asked, noting the item in Seisa's arm. It's been awhile since I've seen his collection but judging by the scribbles on the side it wasn't hard to figure out who it belonged to. "So you actually won it from him at his shooting booth? I'm impressed."

"He didn't want to give up the life-size Miracle Man. Even Akama-san wanted to try and obtain it." She replied, cuddling the animal against her chest lovingly. "Didn't get it in the end."

"I figured as much. That thing is Sadamatsu's pride and joy...let me guess he used Selfish Flower to keep the hits from knocking it over?"

"Bingo."

"But at least we got to help out his shop and a lot of students offered to shoot a round." Eruna told me with glee. "Oh but since I heard from Akama that he spends his time alone arranging flowers...could it be that you're lonely too?" I looked at her with interest before waving my hand dismissively.

"It's quite all right really, I didn't expect the numbers to dwindle fast..."

"Then are you just happy to have visitors at your booth too?"

Kurisu-chan, I'll definitely bring you to the fair next time my school has some big event! Iliya's voice whispered through my ear as I remembered her promising me to take me to one whenever she had either a club match or a singles match. Because I wasn't exactly a student I was only allowed to wonder around and look but not purchase anything. _We'll have lots more fun together once you're an actual student! I pinky promise!_

"...I wonder if I could call myself being happy..." I said after awhile, my fingers curling around my knees. _Iliya-sama..._

"Are you not?"

"Eruna..." Bimii warned, noticing the change in mannerism. "Let it go ryui..."

"B-But Senpai isn't having fun! I'll make it my mission–"

"That's enough." I spoke up quickly, unaware that the ground had begun to freeze over just a tad. "Don't worry about it."

"Ah, I wonder who's voice it was. Turns out it was Senpai's~" I glanced around Eruna to see Lucoa sauntering over, a smile on her face and an arm raised in greeting. "Looks like I came at the right time, the booth was empty so I decided I'd come back at a later time~"

"Lucoa."

"Senpai, who's this?"

"Oh I didn't realize you had visitors~" The red-head turned to greet the others and bowed her head. "The name's Lucoa, a transfer student and it's very nice to meet you~"

"I'm Eruna, the hero of this school and sure winner of the rookie battle!" Eruna proclaimed with a grin. "All the girls at this school will fall for me sooner or later!"

"Pfft, you're a funny one." Lucoa laughed before her gaze went to Seisa. There was something in her eyes that flashed briefly but it was too fast for me to catch. _Target's in sight. However we're too much in the open where everybody can see. I should play it safe until she gets more comfortable around me...  
_

"Is there something on my face?" Seisa asked. "You've been staring for quite awhile now."

"Ah, nope there's nothing on your face but beauty~ Your skin looks smooth as silk. Tell me what products you use~"

"That's my goddess~" Eruna stated with confidence. "One day I'll win her heart but for now I gotta focus on the battles."

"Oho, looks like you got an admirer." Lucoa wiggled her eyebrows and laughed. "That's really cute."

"What do you want Lucoa?" I asked, watching her carefully. There's no way anyone could warm up to Seisa as quickly as she did. "I'm sure you didn't come over here just to chat."

"Well since you asked, perhaps an angel for my bookshelf then Senpai..." She leaned forward, pulling me close so she could whisper in my ear. "A crying angel with broken wings~"

 _What kind of request is that? What game is she playing?_ I narrowed my eyes slightly but did as I was told, molding and sculpting a new slab of ice into the image I had in mind. Once I had finished I showed it to her. "Does this suit your taste?"

"Mmmhmm~ It looks so lovely Senpai~" She smiled as I boxed it up for her. Transferring the points she sauntered over to Seisa. "Well I'm gonna borrow this one for awhile~ We're gonna go and walk around for a bit. Bye bye~"

"Then I'm gonna go hang out with Tonkyun and Usamaru. Bye Senpai, when I have enough points I'll probably come and find you later!" Eruna exclaimed and bid farewell, rushing off with Bimii on her tail. I watched her disappear before leaning against my seat with a sigh, closing my eyes for a minute. Despite the hot weather that was making the ears sticking out of the slits of my hood fold back against my head I thought about making a snow cone machine but what I really wanted was a nap.

"Umm...Senpai?" A voice spoke and I lazily opened an eye to see two students standing in front of the booth. "C-Can I ask you to make something...for my friend an I?"

"Of course." I replied, shaking some of the thoughts from my head. "What would you like?"

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"Good afternoon, I'm Haruka Toishi from the broadcast club." The screen on the blimps hovering around the school turned on, depicting a young girl with a headset over her head. "We're a small club that doesn't stand out much, but I'll work hard to win the rookie battle so everyone will know who we are!"

"Oh, she's pretty!" Usamaru said with glee as he, Tonkyun and Eruna sat together on the grass just outside the vending fair. Every single one of them had their devices in hand. "I've never seen her though, there's just so many cool students here!"

"She's Haruka Toishi from the broadcast club, expected to rank second in this rookie battle ryui." Bimii explained as he hovered over Eruna's shoulder. Soon the screen changed and the Astronomy Club was ranked first in the list. "Well what do you know."

"Wow, Asuhi's in first place! Congrats to him!" Eruna smiled as the screen soon displayed a couple more opponents and what rank they were in. "There are beautiful girls and boys I haven't seen before here, too!" She stood up abruptly with a determined look on her face. "Oh, this is it! An idea for my new club..."

"Huh? You actually got an idea from looking at the contestants ryui?"

"It's taking shape in my head right now–"

"UUUUUUOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Aw man, you made me forget!" Eruna complained as she looked at Usamaru with a sad expression, lower lip sticking out in a pout. "What got you fired up?"

"This girl's cute!" He exclaimed, showing her his screen. "She's just my type!"

"Azumi Sagara from the band. Expected ranking: fifth." Tonkyun read before looking at his fellow drama club mate. "I believe she's your next opponent, Usamaru."

"Seriously?!" He looked at him in shock. "Are you sure?! This could be my lucky day!"

"It looks like there's a video of her. Won't hurt to see what she says." Tonkyun nodded and pressed the play button. The screen buzzed before showing a room filled with chairs. Slowly the camera pans over till it fell upon a young girl. She had reddish pink hair with pale pink streaks. There was a musical note hair pin that held her hair back and she wore a monochrome striped dress and a pink skirt underneath.

"I'm Azumi Sagara from the band." She spoke pleasantly as she addressed her viewers. "It'll make me happy if my musical performance during the rookie battle can be enjoyed by as many people as possible!"

"She's my next opponent...? This is crazy! Seriously crazy! I feel like a forbidden love will bud at the end of a dramatic match during the rookie battle!" Usamaru blushed with glee. "No doubt about it! It's passionate youth! Super passionate!" When he didn't get a response he turned to see that the others were walking back up the hill.

"So the drama club didn't have a booth this year...how come?"

"The drama club doesn't need more funds, so apparently we're taking a break this year."

"How could you guys leave me?! So rude! I was pouring out my feelings here!" The boy yelled with horror as he ran to catch up with them. "Honestly, don't you have a speck of interest in my love life?!"

"No."

"Nope."

"Not at all."

"You are all too honest..." He deflated with a sigh. "Then at least after your fights come to watch mine! I'll make that Azumi Sagara fall in love with me without fail!"

 _It seems the battles are getting started and there isn't anymore business opportunity since the students are too busy watching..._ I noted the lack of students and stood to put my things away, turning around to put the booth down and clean up. I also earned a good amount of points which I'm particularly okay with. _Now I won't have to worry about eating ice cream every time I go to the cafeteria...and the other juniors won't have to tease me about it._

"Senpai."

"Hmm? Oh Seisa, how may I help you?" I asked, turning to face her after putting some of the jars away. I glanced over her shoulder for a minute. "Wait wasn't Lucoa with you? Where did she go?"

"We parted ways when I told her I was coming back to see if you were still here. She's an interesting person."

"Yeah you could say that...so why are you here?"

"I came to give you this." She held out a crepe for me to take. "The girl who was handling the stand said she only had enough ingredients for one and since Kyoma left because I told her that he bites I decided to take the last one."

 _Ha, Kyoma bites. That's the funniest thing I've heard all day._ I inwardly laughed about it before looking back at the food that was now in my hand. "But what about you?"

"It's okay, I had my fill of the takoyaki beef."

"Then you should take a bite at least." I tilted it her way, offering her the first bite. "It'll be awhile until the junior battles so I don't want you to wait that long."

"If that is what you wish." Nodding her head slightly she opened her mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly and delicately.

 _Oh...even as she eat she's being graceful about it._

"You're staring." She noted and I took a bite out of the sweet as well. Gently grabbing my wrist she dragged me along before I could even grab my stuff. "You can come back and get them later. There's somewhere I wanted to go with you if that's alright."

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, taking another bite out of the crepe.

"Surely the art club hasn't packed up yet so let's get a portrait done." She turned to face me with an unreadable expression. "Senpai...when that girl Lucoa appeared you tensed up. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

 _Perhaps it's for the best to not tell her, I don't want to start off some false rumors._ "No, there's nothing. Oh look it seems like we're here."

"Welcome. How would you like your portrait done?" The nice boy asked as we took our seats. "Oh! Mikagura-senpai, it's finally nice to meet you!"

"What? Mikagura-senpai?!" Another member of the club looked over, her face lit up with amazement. "Wow it really is her!"

"Hi there." Seisa replied. "Could you just draw us as is? Wait...Senpai, could you...remove your hood?"

"Hmm?" I glanced at her with a confused look on my face. "Why?"

"I think you would look better if you...removed it for the portrait." She replied.

 _I guess just this once...who knows if I'll want to come back later._ I slowly removed my hood, letting my hair tumble down. My ears perked up taller since they were no longer confined. "Like this?"

"Yes, just like that." She nodded her head in agreement. "Now then, will you two please?"

"Of course!" The two members of the art club grinned and got to painting.

 _They look so happy doing something that they enjoy._ I thought, keeping my eyes on the boy before me. He would sometimes avoid my gaze with a little blush on his face. In my mind I imagined what it would be like if Iliya-sama and I were to have our pictures drawn, or eating the foods together. _Hmm...I wonder..._

"And yours is done!" The boy exclaimed, nodding his head with glee as he tucked his paintbrush behind his ear. "This is probably the best piece I've ever done!"

"Mikagura-senpai's portrait is also finished!" The girl stated and they showed us the artwork. It was lovely to say the least and I couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Allow me to pay for them." I said, noticing that Seisa was about to transfer her points. "It's the least I could do since you brought me the crepe." After transferring the points we thanked them and walked away with the artwork in our arms. Once we got close to a building she came to a stop. "What's wrong?"

"I'm gonna go and watch some of the matches." She told me before gesturing to the items in her arms. "But I should drop these off at home."

"Very well. Then I'll see you."

"Did you have fun at least?" She asked and I came to a halt. I thought about it for awhile before turning around and walked back to her. Pulling her rolled up portrait out from between her fingers I replaced it with mine.

"Sure I did. I'll hold onto this as a reminder. I'll probably even frame it in my room." I stated before taking my leave, disappearing into the dormitory and out of sight.

"Senpai..." Seisa whispered as she glanced at the rolled up parchment paper with thought. _Was it something I did wrong? She didn't seem like she had fun..._

"She sure is an icy person right?"

"Oh it's you." Seisa turned to see Lucoa standing beside her. The red-haired student had her arms folded across her chest in a nonchalant manner. "I didn't even sense you coming?" _Was she watching us from a far?_

"C'mon don't give me that look, I'll keep you company for the time being." The red-head smiled, lightly wrapping an arm over the girl's shoulder. "You said you wanted to watch the matches? That's exactly where I was going too. We can learn more about each other along the way!"


	11. Chapter 10: An Exhibition match

**A/N** : Chapter 10 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 10: An Exhibition match**

 _In my room..._

Even though I managed to catch the last few moments of Usamaru's battle up to the destruction of his last crystal upon my return to my room, his opponent's words that made my blood boil. She was condescending, she was mean and she mocked her opponent before walking off, a smirk on her face after obtaining victory. Something about watching the match made me hate fighting just for sheer joy of gloating in the opponent's face.

 _Tch...! That was frustrating to watch..._ I tossed my device on my bed, placed Seisa's portrait gently on my desk and stood by the window deep in thought. I released a sigh, closing my eyes and rubbed my temples. "And these loud noises are giving me headaches...curse my extra hearing."

 _Kurisu!_

"Iliya-sama?!" I opened my eyes and everything outside disappeared. In front of me I could see her, my golden-haired angel hovering before me. Her smile and everything, I remember so clearly. "Iliya-sama!" In that instant the window shattered and her body crumbled to pieces, each shard fell harmlessly onto the floor. I couldn't breathe. I didn't blink. My blood ran cold as I stared at her head, the only piece that hadn't fallen yet. She was staring at me, her lifeless eyes bore deep into mine. It just hurt so much seeing her but knowing that she was still gone made the hurt that much harder to bear.

 _Ku...ri...su..._ Her lips moved before curling up into a smirk. _It hurts...it really...hurts..._ I shivered as ghastly fingers grasped my face, pulling me closer to her. _Relive me...of this...pain..._

"No...no...no..." I tried to get out of the grasp but my body wouldn't obey my command. This is just a dream...a really harsh nightmare..."

 _Relieve me..._ The voice continued to whisper, a mantra circulating within my mind. _Save me..._

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Clutching my head I iced my entire room as well as half of the dormitory, losing control of my power. The sound of students yelling and trying to escape reached my ears but I could only curl up into a ball in the middle of my room. "Iliya-sama...I...I...!"

 _BAM! BAM! BAM!_

"Oi! Puppy! Control yourself! You've froze nearly the entire dormitory!"

"Keep doing what you're doing. It'll make the rest of us juniors look better..."

"Sadamatsu what kind of encouraging words are those?!" Nyamirin scolded with a disappointed look upon her face. "We have to look after Puppy-chan no matter what!"

"Arrrgh! The floor's really slippery! I shouldn't have worn such shoes!" Himi squealed. "I forgot how unmerciful the ice was!"

 _SNAP!_

In a flash the ice disappeared at the sound of my snap, not a trace to be found and not a puddle on the floor. Taking a deep breath I adjusted my hood over my head, feeling a wall of ice rise to encase my still wounded heart. _How could I be happy...when Iliya-sama's death hasn't been solved? I can't afford to waste any time...but...here I am, watching the battles..._ I turned to see the other juniors filing into my room. "Why are you guys in here?"

"Are you alright?!"

"I was just on my way when half of the dormitory froze over! I just had to run over!"

"I came along because Kyoma ran over as quickly as his legs could carry him. I could care less."

"You no good pot head...are you sprouting flowers from your brain now?"

"Hey that's enough, we're all friends here..." Nyamirin placed herself between me and Sadamatsu, a frown upon her face. "You know how the headmistress hates it if we made a mess in the dormitories, as well as set bad examples for the others."

"If Nyamirin wasn't here I'd have you beat." I snarled.

"Don't think for a minute I sat on my ass doing nothing after that battle we last had." Sadamatsu replied, meeting my gaze without flinching. "I'm not like how I used to be."

"By the way, you didn't show up to Eruna's congratulatory party." Akama told me, changing the subject for everyone's convenience. "We kinda threw her one, not because Shigure threatened us by any means..."

"I came back from the fair and didn't really get an invite." I replied, blinking once before looking at my device that was still laying on my bed. Looking at the screen I frowned. "Oh now I received it..."

"Wow talk about late..."

"Sorry. I'll send Shigure a text back." My fingers flew across the keyboard before sending the message out. "I'm sure he'll understand."

"By the way I'm sure Eruna's next battles are coming up soon." Himi proclaimed as she glanced at her watch. "Don't want to miss them right?"

"I'll just watch them from here." I gestured to my room. "Also could one of you find a frame for the portrait?"

"Hmmm? So you and Seisa did swap portraits~" Nyamirin grinned as she looked at the painting. "Looks cute~"

"I'm sure we have some spare frames in the art club. Come by when you're able to and I'll have it ready." Kyoma said before leaving, taking Sadamatsu with him. The others also excused themselves and said goodbye to me too. "Make sure you enjoy the battles once in awhile."

 _BA-PING!_

"Hmm? A message?" I noticed my screen light up and looked at it once the others disappeared. _From the secretary? When did she get my number?_

 _What do you say to an exhibition match against the winner of the finals? If you win the headmistress will gladly give you the information she received in regards to Iliya. Of course that also means that you, as the sole representative of the Night Patrol Club, have to do well._

"Fighting in the Rookie Battle?" I frowned at the weird message. _Is the headmistress belittling me? There's no way I'm allowed to fight in there...I thought she knew that...  
_

 _BA-PING!_

"Mmm? Another one?" And so quickly after the first?

 _If you don't comply...you will never solve your mystery. And...it would be my victory._

"Tch, I knew this was too good to be true! What the hell is this?!" I stared at my device in shock, debating whether to ignore it or follow the order. "A hack?!" Looking at the number I realized that it was untraceable but soon it was calling me. I waited ten minutes before picking up, holding it against my ear. "Where are you and what is your relationship with Iliya-sama?"

"Well it seems you caught on quick..." The voice was definitely a female's when she spoke to me. "And you haven't changed in the slightest...jumping straight to the point."

"Tell me what I need to know." I growled. "What happened that day? I know it was you you snake!"

"No no, that's not how I do things." The voice taunted. "I'm sure you're wondering, out of all the students why is your phone the one that received the messages? Why indeed..."

"Is it because of my relationship with Iliya?" I asked and in the background I could hear the clapping of hands.

"Bravo...bravo indeed. Then we should go straight to the main course."

"How do you know the Rookie battle was happening?"

"How could I not? It's being broadcast and all I needed to do was tap into the network and viola~ Instant television and entertainment." There was a chuckle. "Now if you don't want anything bad to happen to that friend of yours...or any of them for that matter then I suggest you follow what that message says."

 _Seisa!_ "You filthy little-"

"Don't think about making threats, I make the calls here. Not you. The headmistress doesn't even know, this will be our little secret."

"You do realize that if she notices, I'll be in serious trouble?!" I hissed.

"Since when were you afraid?" The voice questioned. "You eagerly followed that blonde goddess of yours anywhere, you even did as you were told without hesitation. Why don't you show me your courage now?"

"You keep her out of this!"

"Oh but why should I? Everything revolves around her death, you, me and soon the entire school. Now do as I say...I'm sure you are already suspecting Lucoa and you have every right to. But all I need is to press one button.."

"Okay fine. Fine..." I spoke, not wanting to hear the rest. It was no doubt blackmail but I couldn't run to the headmistress. "I'll do what you want."

"Good dog. Now put on a show for us."

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

"Wow, isn't the Rookie tournament interesting?" Lucoa exclaimed as she walked beside Seisa, looking around and watching the various battles with glee. "I've never had this much excitement in my life."

"I guess..."

"You don't seem happy, is it because of these club battles?" The red-head asked. When she didn't get a response she nodded her head with knowing. "Ah~ It's okay if you don't tell me, I already have a hunch."

"Oh you do?"

"Isn't that Eruna? She's doing exceptionally well!" Lucoa said as the battle between Eruna and Tonkyun were half way done. "Wow, if she wins she'll go into the quarterfinals with ease!"

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Seisa murmured and sure enough they managed to see the first year fall to the girl from the broadcast club in the quarter final. "Hmm just as I thought."

"You should be a psychic~"

 _But it seemed as thought Kyoma was in a better mode after watching her earlier fight._ Seisa thought, witnessing the representative of the Art club painting to his hearts content, a large grin on his face. _Was it all thanks to Eruna?_

"Check that out!" Lucoa's voice jerked her out of her thoughts and she looked up just as the final battle came to the end. "That girl must have potential cause that boy barely made a scratch on her~ What I wouldn't give to have a fight with her!"

"Winner, Otone Fujishiro." The announcer spoke as the arena erupted into cheers. Eruna and the other members of the drama club stood in the stands, unable to believe their rushed over to see if they could cheer Asuhi on only to find him on his butt and his crystals shattered.

"This wasn't even considered a warm-up." The girl huff, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair with her finger. She had on a monochrome-themed dress with transparent frills, matching stockings and black shoes. Her hair was white with wild violet streaks, fashioned into twin-tails with dark frilly ribbons. "Hmph."

"Then allow me to change your mind since you don't seem fulfilled."

"EH?! SENPAI!?" Eruna gasped as I stepped forward, hands in pockets and my hood covering my face. There were whispers from the crowd and even Shigure looked at me strangely.

 _Oho so Kanade-sama was behind all this._ Lucoa smiled as she lowered her device, reading through the new message. Turning her head to speak to Seisa she realized that she was standing alone and the sophomore had vanished. _Huh? She disappeared without me noticing, just when we had gotten to know each other better. What an interesting prey._

"Kurisu..why are you here?" Shigure asked me as I stepped onto the stage, angling the microscope away so it was just talking between us. "We aren't supposed to intervene with the rookies!"

"Please step off the stage." I replied, focusing my eyes on Otone who squared her shoulders immediately when she sensed the urge of battle rolling off my body in waves. Asuhi got the jest and so he went to stand next to Eruna in the stands, holding the telescope in his hands. "This is between me and her now."

"What...?"

 _BZZT~ BZZT~ BZZT~_

"Hello? Huh?! Headmistress are you sure?!" Shigure asked worriedly, his eyes darting back and forth between us. "Well...I guess we don't have a choice now do we? Okay I understand. Okay bye then!"

"So?" I questioned once he hung up. "Did I get the ok?"

"Yeah...I don't know what's going on but...don't go overboard." He warned and hopped off the stage. "Well students, you're in for a treat! Feast your eyes on the exhibition match, approved by the headmistress herself!"

* * *

 _In the office..._

"Headmistress! Headmistress!" The secretary rushed in, a scared expression on her face. "Have you seen this?! What are we to do?!"

"She's fighting in the Rookie battle?" The elderly woman looked at her own device in hand, a sigh escaping her lips. "I know."

"Then why aren't we doing anything about it? It's against the rules to-"

"I know. I know the rules very well!" The headmistress replied before looking at the actual screen, hands pressed together with worry. Her eyebrows were knitted together in thought. "But I can't penalize her for it."

"Why the hell not?!" The headmistress merely showed her secretary her device with the newly read message."Isn't that...blackmailing?"

"I already gave Shigure a call so he knows. We'll just have to watch until they're done." She looked at her secretary for a moment. "Call her to my office once their little bout is finished, we must start acting accordingly."

 _Don't think about stopping the exhibition fight. If you do, I can't guarantee your granddaughter's safety. Before long the lives of every single student within your school will be held within my grasp. Now relax and enjoy._


	12. Chapter 11: Becoming a Bodyguard

**A/N** : Chapter 11 of _The Cold's Shards._ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

 **Warning** : This is a yuri story.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Becoming a Bodyguard**

 _Inside the arena..._

The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the students were sitting on the edge of their seats, their eyes glued to the arena as I stood opposite of my opponent. Seisa made it on time and watched from the shadows, her eyes going between Otone and I.

"Don't you think we should stop them before they even begin?" Eruna asked Asuhi with a concerned look on her face. She herself was tempted to jump into the fray herself. "Isn't it a bad idea to put Senpai in the Rookie battle?"

"I don't know what happened but since it's an exhibition match we shouldn't worry too much." He replied. "

"Besides this should be a good opportunity to witness a junior's strength, especially Puppy-chan's~" Nyamirin said with a smile upon her face. "We should consider ourselves lucky!"

"Is she really that great rowr?" Kumaro asked with her arms crossed over her chest. "You speak well of her Nyamirin-sama rowr."

"Well I've seen her fight at least once since I've been here nyaa~ But like I have mentioned before, no one's been able to melt her ice in battle."

"Nyamirin, doesn't it seem like she's being forced to fight in this Rookie tournament?" Kyoma asked quietly while the others focused back on the two combatants or hypothesized which one of us would win. "The headmistress stated very clearly that we aren't allowed to intervene with these kind of things."

"So you noticed it too?" She whispered back and the representative of the Art Club nodded his head in response. "I thought it was weird for her to agree to a fight like this."

"Something's weird and our trip to the library gave us nothing. We'll just have to keep a tight eye on things."

 _BZZT~ BZZT~ BZZT~_

"Hello?" Pulling out my device from my pocket I placed it near my ear, keeping an eye on the timer. "I know you're watching so make this quick."

"I just thought of a fun game that I'm sure you'll find fun." The female's voice floated through my ear. "I wanna see if you can shatter her crystals...without using your powers."

"Without...my powers?" I repeated, arching an eyebrow in interest. "Why would you suggest such a thing?"

"Afraid you wouldn't be able to shatter at least one without relying on your power?" The taunting continued and I had to hold myself back from crushing my device with my hand. "Iliya never relied on her powers when she didn't need them. I wonder if you could do the same..."

"How many times did I have to tell you, quit bringing her into this!" I snapped, getting a lot of confused looks from the audience. "Tch, I'll play your game...however, what will I get in return?"

"Information right?" I could practically hear the smile in her voice and it was frustrating that I was being played by her. "You could spend the entirely to your life looking and searching without being able to move forward. Then you'll never know the truth and I get to watch you fall into despair."

"You disgust me."

"Don't take that tone with me. How about this, if you win I'll give you a hint of where I am." That got my attention. "Do we have an agreement then? I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."

"You better keep your word."

"Of course, who do you think I am? Just remember...you know exactly what would happen if you don't comply..."

"...I understand." I pressed the button and put my device away. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, feeling my nerves calming down. This is only an exhibition match and yet...I have to fight like a real battle.

 _Match Start_

"Come. Show me what the winner of the Rookie battle can do." I could feel the crystals hovering around my head while my tail appeared, twitching back and forth with anticipation.

"I don't understand why but if you insist on fighting me..." She twirled an object in her hand and pointed it in my direction. "Anticomplex! Snake!"

 _Hmm? Ribbons?_ I watched carefully as the said objects came towards me in the form of the cold-blooded animals, my ears perked forward with interest. I knew that they were aiming for my crystals first but a sweep of my right leg quickly put the ribbons out of commission. _This is really interesting!_

"Sword!" A few more ribbons sprouted from her sleeve and formed into a bright red sword. She rushed towards me and aimed for the crystal hovering by my right ear. My eyes watched as the crystal broke with ease and I released a breath of air.

"What a shock, Otone has gotten the upper hand! Shattering a crystal first, what a display of power!" Shigure exclaimed, being the MC and adding in his own commentary. "How will her opponent respond?!"

"Heh, how do you like that?" She grinned but noticed that my right hand was coming close to her face. Thinking that it was a punch she ducked and hopped back. "Your punch was slow for me to see!"

"One." I spoke and her eyes widened when she spotted one of her heart crystals in my hand. Looking behind her she realized that she also had two crystals hovering in the air. Curling my fingers into a fist I crushed the object right then and there.

"Now they're tied two crystals to two crystals! That's some intense speed, my eyes couldn't even see what had happened!"

"Tch." Otone frowned, her mind whirling as she came up with another strategy. "Anticomplex! Binding!" Ribbons shot out and wrapped around my feet, holding me in place. "Lets see how fast you can move with your feet stuck to the ground!"

"Not a bad strategy." I mused, nodding my head with approval as I looked at the bindings. "Not bad at all."

"Sword! This time I'll aim for the crystal on your left!" Taking aim she rushed forward like a fencer, going for the defenseless crystal. "I don't know why everyone fell against you but now, I can defeat you! And it'll look great on my student record!"

"Is that so?" Catching the blade I maneuvered it so that the sharp edge slashed through the bindings of my left leg. Once it was free I threw her aside before ripping apart the other bindings. "I almost freaked out to be honest. I thought the ribbons would be difficult to tear apart..."

 _She ripped them that easily?!_ Otone growled under her breath before lifting her sword to block my punch. We fell into a good round of close-combat fighting, her ribbons attacking and defending against a variety of kicks and punches. Shigure couldn't even comment as he was attempting to follow our every movement. _Grrr! She's on another level from the boy from earlier!_

"Watch out!" Eruna shouted but after avoiding a swing I tackled my opponent down, straddling her hips with an arm cocked back. "Senpai! Don't do it!"

"Two." I slammed my arm down to smash the crystal against the ground mere inches from her head. Hopping off I waited for her to stand back up. "One more to go."

 _BRIIING~ BRIIING~_

"I really need to turn my device on silent...What do you want now?"

"That should be all in terms of an exhibition match."

"You're changing the plans on me?! Screw you..."

"Now now, you know you could win against her." My eyes flickered to where Otone was slowly rising to her feet, the lonely crystal hanging above her head. "Besides you were right, it was an exhibition match and you should take pity on that poor girl. There's more than enough chances for you to use your full strength. Until then why don't you wrap it up and bow out?"

 _Tch...what the hell is she playing at?!_ "Well that's all for now with the exhibition match." I said once I put my device away, clapping my hands and addressed the audience. There were some voices of disappointment but also cheers and applause for both parties. "Thank you. I'll take my leave."

"Huh? She's leaving just like that?" Eruna wondered as I hopped of the stage, walking away till the shadows swallowed me up. "And she left Otone's single crystal alone..."

"She doesn't even look happy." Akama said as they looked at the girl who stood solely on the stage, her eyes downcast with an unreadable expression. "Even after she won the Rookie match..."

"I guess this exhibition match was an eye opener for all of us." Himi said, getting head nods from her fellow peers. "The junior matches that will come soon is no laughing matter and we all have to do our best no matter what."

* * *

 _Headmistress' Office..._

"So you got the messages too. Not only that you actually talked with the assailant too? Also...chatting with them during the match wasn't very sportsman like."

"I'm sorry." I apologized as I sat on the couch. Right after leaving the arena I was ushered to the headmistress' place immediately by the secretary. "I should have come to tell you but..."

"No I understand why you did what you did." The headmistress said before showing me the message she received. "But that's not why I called you here."

"It's because she threatened Seisa's life, right?" I asked, my eyes scanning through the message. It's one thing to blackmail me but it's another to bring in another student. "What do you want me to do?"

"Be my granddaughter's bodyguard."

"Eh?!"

"What!?" Both the secretary and I spluttered simultaneously, looking at the headmistress as if she grew another head on her shoulders. "Are you serious?!"

"There's only so much that Kamui can do besides being a teacher as well as the maid but I'm sure you'd do great following her around the school." The headmistress said confidently. "Consider it one of my missions for you when you're doing your patrols at night. If it's alright, I would like it if you guard her mansion too."

 _You can't be serious..._ "Headmistress isn't that a bit much?" I asked, scratching my chin with a finger. "Besides Kamui-sensei is strong enough to protect her..."

"Not when she goes about her daily schedule. Like I said you are only to protect her during the day as well as guard the mansion when it's nighttime. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Headmistress please reconsider!" I slammed my palms down on the desk. "It's not whether the task is hard or not I have to juggle priorities now aside from being a student and doing things for my club!"

"When did you become so selfish?" At the question I could only stare at the headmistress in shock. "If Iliya was here you wouldn't have mind because you would always be there by her side trying to do the best you could do. But now that she's gone you push everyone else out of the way? Your mind narrowed down to finishing what you want to do? You're putting more lives in danger because of your own selfishness!"

"I...I never asked to be selfish..." I took a step back, curling my fingers into a tight fist. "If only she hadn't died...if only I was there by her side..."

"No one blames you for her death..."

"But the school could have done something to prevent it!"

 _Knock~ Knock~ Knock~_

"Come in!" The headmistress said sweetly and Seisa stepped in, closing the door behind her. "Oh Seisa, I'm glad to see you. Have a seat!"

"Yes, headmistress." She replied and took a seat, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"We were just about finished here."

"Headmistress!" I hissed but she held her hand up to stop me.

"Naiteu-san will be your bodyguard for the time being."

"Senpai, please take good care of me." Seisa turned and bowed her head.

 _I won't have time to go and investigate on my own if I can't get out of this situation. Geez how did things turn out like this?_ I sighed and ruffled my hair with a hand. _Good riddance..._

 _BZZT~ BZZT~_

"Hmmm? A text?" I pulled my device out of my pocket and looked at the screen. Immediately my eyebrows knitted together and a frown appeared on my face. _It's her._

"You seem to have gotten something interesting." The headmistress inquired, noticing the darkened expression on my face. "Get going, I'm sure you have had a long day today and a lot of things to think about."

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

"Kanade-sama, why did you stop the match? It was just about to get to the climax!" Lucoa spoke through her device with a frown upon her face. After watching the battle and not being able to find Seisa she just retired to her room. "I mean I expected no less from the Silver Wolf. That win would've been handed down on a platter."

"Even when she didn't use her powers she managed to display the strength to win, I gave her the benefit of doubt. She was Iliya's pupil after all."

"Were you collecting data like you normally do besides watching the entertainment?" The red-head questioned out of curiosity? "I would assume so since we barely know anything about her fighting style."

"Yes, I gotten some really good data from the fight." Kanade replied, sitting on her throne with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Definitely different from Iliya's style of fighting but the two of them together, if she was still alive, would've been a force to be reckoned with. By the way, how's your mission coming along?"

"I've come into contact with the headmistress' granddaughter during the fair. We seem to be coming along all right cause she hasn't suspected anything but don't you worry I think I'll make my move soon."

"Really? Then I can't wait to hear about your good deeds."

"Mmmmhmm. Alright, talk to you later Kanade-sama." Clicking the button she looked out the window just in time to see Seisa and I leave the building together. She seemed to be telling me something because I was nodding my head at some parts of her talk. "Well well, what do we have here? Has the opportunity come where I can hit two birds with one stone?" A grin appeared on her face. "This is perfect."


	13. Chapter 12: The small hint

**A/N** : Chapter 12 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

Warning: This is a yuri story.

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The small hint**

 _Outside the arena..._

"That sure surprised me! Who knew Senpai used close-combat tactics instead of her ice attacks, I've never seen that side of Senpai before!" Eruna exclaimed as she walked through the walkway with Bimii floating right behind her. She had been sitting on the edge of her seat through the duration of the exhibition match, nervously chewing on her fingernails. "Speaking of which...how come she didn't use them? Her crystal wouldn't have broken if she had used her powers right?"

"It sure was strange ryui." Bimii nodded his head with agreement. "Not even I could tell you why. Naiteu-san likes to keep things private and doesn't open up to others like she used to."

"Senpai must've felt too proud to rely on her skills." The first-year clenched her hands into determined fists. "She probably didn't want to show off too much for fear that the rest of us wouldn't be able to keep up! Thus she's given me a chance to show off my own skills!"

"That's...not it ryui..." Bimii sighed, shaking his head from side-to-side. _And Eruna is lost within her own fantasies again..._

"Wait...what's that noise?" Eruna asked, her head turned to where the alley opened up to a field of flowers. "Someone crying?"

"No one's every been down there...well except for Minatogawa-kun but that's cause he's the representative of the Flower Arrangement club. I suggest we leave-"

"Lets check it out!"

"Eruna!" Bimii whispered but he couldn't help but follow her lead. Sticking their heads out they spotted Otone crying in front of the flowerbeds. "Eh? It's Otone-chan."

"Man, seeing her like this makes me feel like Senpai was a bully." Eruna frowned before excitement lit up her face. "But besides that, what is with that adorable girlish sitting position?! Anyone could go on and on talking about the charm and magic of that girlish pose!"

"Huh?"

"I will go and talk about it now! I can hardly contain myself!"

"Wait, ryui!" Bimii held his paws up, stopping her in her tracks. "It sounds like she's muttering something to herself, ryui. And get that perverted thought out of your mind ryui."

"I did it again..." Otone sniffled, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. "Even though I didn't think that...the devil that lives in Fujishiro's...Fujishiro's head..."

"Why did her pronunciation of 'devil' sound so sophisticated?" Eruna asked with a blush on her face. "Did she live abroad? She also referred to herself by last name! This is getting so good!"

"How can I fix this shyness? When I get nervous, my mind goes blank, and mean words come out of my mouth on their own!" Otone whimpered. "Such arrogant words...in front of a senpai...I don't want that to happen anymore!"

"Otone, you don't have to worry about anything anymore! I'll hold you tight!" Like a knight in shining armor Eruna leaped to the rescue and approached the first-year. "I'll protect you..."

"Eeek! It's a demon!" Otone shrieked, keeping an appropriate distance between her and Eruna. "Like what Mama said time and time again to be careful of! A perverted beast that comes after cute girls!" Wiping away the shyness she stated boldly, "Fujishiro grew up cute, so one has finally appeared, huh? Mama, did you see that? Fujishiro did it!"

"It's not just the part where she doesn't belong to a club...she's just as weird as you Eruna." Bimii commented dryly. "The two of you were like made for each other ryui."

"Huh? I thought I'd seen you before somewhere..." Otone continued as she addressed the two of them. "Aren't you the person who won halfway and then in a half-hearted way?"

"My name's Eruna Ichinomiya! I'll stay right by your side until you stop being shy!" Eruna introduced herself, her hands making groping actions to boot. "Huehuehue!"

"Tch! I'm not shy! I don't even understand what that means!" Otone replied, trying really hard not to cringe. _Eww, she's on a whole new level of lewd!_

"She's applying her 'lived abroad character' at a weird time ryui." Bimii noticed that Eruna was still stuck in her perverted fantasies and sighed. _And Eruna hasn't changed a bit!_

"On, Mr. Bimii! Thank you for your hard work!" The girl exclaimed when she spoke to the teacher, raising an arm in salute. "Otone Fujishiro might have been a start student today if it weren't for that exhibition match." She reached out to grab him and twirled around. "But no less, a star student! 'Otone Fujishiro is a super star student'...Mr. Bimii should write that in the student record...write that..."

"Will you please stop trying to brainwash me by whispering that over and over in my ear?" Bimii asked with concern in his voice. "It's a little...unprofessional."

"I don't think Bimii has the power to write in any student records." said Eruna, making sure that they are aware that she was still there. "He's quite useless in that sense but he's very good in other aspects!"

"What? Is that right?" She threw him back into Eruna's face and huffed with annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest. "So even though you're a teacher, you're low on the totem pole? Why are you so beaming ugly? Can I kick you?"

"Her attitude changed all of a sudden, ryui..."

"Black Otone or White Otone? I can't choose between the two!" Eruna peeled him off her face and tossed him to the side, the heart-shaped eyes were filled with desired lust for cute girls. "I love them both!"

"Will you please stop being rude? Fujishiro is always pure white!"

"But besides that don't be mean to Bimii. I'd have to go and get Senpai to teach you some manners."

"Huh? That junior? Hmph! She wasn't that difficult, I cracked one of her crystals on my first move." Otone stated hotly, not at all scared by the threat. "Next time we meet and have a battle I'll win for sure! Just you wait!"

 _That's some mighty confidence she's got there ryui._

"Well I'm gonna go, can't be caught talking to a loser like you. Meh!" Sticking her tongue out the girl turned on her heels and rushed off without another glance over her shoulder.

"Shameless!" Eruna declared but still had a love-struck look upon her face. "That girl is more shameless and air-headed than necessary!"

"...you're so strange sometimes Eruna."

"Lets hurry back to Seisa-senpai!" The girl squealed, dragging Bimii behind her with happiness by the tail. "I wanna see if she would sit in the same position Otone was in! Kyaa~ I can't wait to see!"

 _So that's why she's so excited...I should've known..._ Bimii released a sigh, getting out of her grasp and flew after her. _I really shouldn't be surprised by her antics anymore._

* * *

 _Seisa's home..._

"Ehhhhhhh?! Senpai was here all along with Seisa-senpai?" Eruna stood within the mansion, her jaw slacked. She barged in with exploding happiness just as I was getting myself comfortable on the couch, one leg crossed over the other. "I assumed you'd be in your room back in the dormitory."

"I was taken by surprise as well, my Lady." Kurumi bowed her head in greeting. "The eejit coming back wasn't too surprising..."

"Trust me, I didn't think this would be an outcome either." I said from where I sat, bringing a cup of tea to my lips. We ended up walking back to her home and she invited me inside. I could have said no and walked out but she insisted I stay, even pulling on my arm to emphasize her point.

"It was the headmistress' orders and so there's nothing we can do about it." Seisa replied from where she was sitting lady-like on her bed.

"But anyways Seisa-senpai! Can you please try sitting in the girlish position?"

 _PPFFFFFFTTTT!_

"What?" I looked at them with a shocked expression, tea dribbling down my chin from when I choked on my drink. "Girlish position?"

"Otone sat like that and I was hoping that Seisa-senpai would try it too!" Eruna explained herself, twiddling her fingers together. "And...perhaps maybe Senpai would do the same."

"No thanks." I spoke quickly as I wiped away the liquid from my chin, adverting my eyes to the window. "It's bad for my knees after all."

"Like this?" Seisa asked as she adjusted herself, making sure she was comfortable. "Am I doing it right?"

"It's the super orthodox style!" Eruna squealed as she looked at Seisa in all angles like a photographer. "It's the perfect girlish pose, with no openings no matter what angle you look from! You're amazing, Seisa-senpai!"

"That might be the orthodox style, but the girlish pose evokes unexpected beauty when that perfection is interrupted by occasional openings." Kurumi spoke as she too got into the girlish pose right beside Seisa.

"Kyaa~ So unexpected from Miss Kurumi! On top of that is a waft of a slightly dangerous fragrance, skirting the edges of foul play! The collaboration with Seisa's orthodox style also brings an exquisite sy-ner-gy!"

 _SHIIIIIIIIING~_

"Chill out." I spoke, encasing everything but Eruna's head in ice. I had my eyes closed and attempted to take a nap but with my acute hearing I could practically hear the lust in the first-year's voice. "You already got yourself two nose bleeds. Don't over do it."

"The eejit can imagine whatever she wants but unfortunately that she had to drag me into her delusions." Kurumi noted from where she stood by the table. Seisa herself poured herself a cup and took a sip. "I feel defiled in some way when she does that."

"So, the winner was Otone Fujishiro, that girl with the wonderful girlish sitting position?" Seisa questioned with a small smile upon her face.

"Yes! Like me, she doesn't belong to a club, but uh, unlike me, she seems a bit strange..."

"You're just as strange as her."

"Senpai! You're so mean~" Eruna whined pitifully from within her ice cocoon. "Also...could you let me out? I think my heart's slowing down."

"I heard Imizu lost terribly, how is he holding up?" asked Seisa.

"Sure Asuhi lost but after Senpai and Otone had their fight he said that he doesn't compare himself to her cause she was strong. But he's hoping to fight with her again in the next club battle." Eruna grinned widely. "He was really happy and wanted to fight her as many times as he wanted and win! If anything, losing to Otone hasn't made him lose his spirit it's fueling his goal to becoming better!"

 _Heh, her spirits are sure high today._ Seisa smiled, feeling happy for the first-year.

"That's why I think that I'm gonna work really hard in creating my new club and next time, I don't want to stop in the quarter-finals. I'm gonna win and stand on that stage! Seisa-senpai, what should my new club be?!"

"Wasn't it the 'Surrounding Eruna Ichinomiya with Cute Girls Club'?"

"What about the 'Kicking Eruna Ichinomiya with Cute Girls Club'?" Kurumi offered with a huff, her arms crossed in front of her. "Since it's a possibility why don't you just call it the 'Eejit Club' and leave it at that?"

"Well no matter what I call it, the problem is gathering the three people needed to form a club."

"Noisy. I'm gonna step out and nap someplace else. I'll be back tonight after my rounds." Standing up I made my way to the door only to feel something latch onto my right leg. "Hmm?"

"Senpai, will you come to the surprise party for Asuhi today? The Drama club and I will host it and it'll be a blast!" Eruna ask as I proceeded to drag us out of Seisa's room. "Oh wait a minute! Seisa-senpai!"

"Hmm? What is it?" She asked as I paused near the doorway, the first-year still clinging onto me.

"Once I form the club of my dreams, please fight me again as the representative of the going-home club!"

"I won't hold back." Seisa replied with a small smile.

"I don't expect you to! Let's have a fair fight!" Eruna declared with utmost confidence, detaching herself from me and stared right into her eyes. "I'm looking forward to it, Senpai!"

 _Wait a minute...Those words...!_ Seisa's eyes widened at what Eruna said before she just released a huff. The smile on her face before just got wider. _She reminds me...of myself from back then._

"Is something the matter?" I asked, noticing that subtle change in her demeanor. "You have that weird look upon your face..."

"No, it's nothing." She replied, shaking her head to clear her mind of a few thoughts that had rose from the depths of her mind.

"Hmmm okay then. A-Ah Senpai, you didn't answer my question!" Eruna called after me just as I walked out the front door. "Maaaan, Senpaiiii! Oh, Seisa-senpai you're also invited and if Senpai comes back please drag her with you! I'm off!" Bowing her head in politeness she raced off to actually plan the party.

* * *

 _Inside the Drama Club..._

"So we've practically decided that this cheering up party will be in the honor of Asuhi being the runner-up in the Rookie Battle!" Usamaru exclaimed from where he sat on the couch. The members of the club plus Eruna and Bimii huddled around to prepare for the best night of their lives. "All thanks to Akama's suggestion I do believe that it'll be super amazing!"

"H-He seemed a bit down so what else could we have done?" The representative stammered, hoping that he wasn't blushing. "Besides I feel as though he deserved it, despite not winning the entire tournament."

"It'll be the best surprise party ever, rowr!"

"And we're having it in Yuto's room right?"

"Eh?! Why my room?!" Akama turned with a shocked expression at Nyamirin who pitched the idea. "It's hella messy!"

"Who are we planning to invite?" Tonkyun asked, arms placed on top of his crossed legs from where he sat on the couch next to Usamaru. "We aren't aiming for the entire student body, there wouldn't be enough room."

"Himi, Katai, and Minatogawa-senpai will come, right?" Eruna started to list off with her fingers. "I told Senpai and Seisa-senpai that they were invited too. I wonder if Enoyan will come this time?"

"Huh? Oh Kyoma? Who knows?" Nyamirin chuckled, imagining the representative of the Art club thinking up an excuse not to attend. "You can try but it's definitely up to him in the end."

"So then that leaves Otone and Lucoa as well!"

"Lucoa? Who's that rowr?" Kumano-san questioned.

"She's Senpai's friend and a transfer student...I think." Eruna laughed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I just think she'll be okay to be invited~"

"But Fujishiro...do you think it'll be appropriate?" Yuto asked with slight seriousness in his voice. "Don't get me wrong but since this party's for Asuhi will he feel comfortable since he lost to her?"

"Of course! I don't know if she'll come, but White Otone would be fine! You guys have to trust me!"

 _Huh? White Otone?_ The members of the Drama Club thought in unison. _There's two of them at this school? Or is it perhaps...a part of her dream fantasy?  
_

"Now then...who else...?"

"Did you call me, Eruna?" Shigure asked, popping his head in and smiled. "Am I invited to your secret little pow-wow?"

"No, I didn't!" She replied instantly. "Go away!"

"Then I think we're all settled so the Drama Club will go and get things prepared." Yuto said as Shigure slunk away with a whimper. "That means Eruna, will you go and invite the ones who hasn't been notified yet?"

"Roger! Let's go Bimii!" She rushed out of the room with the disgruntled Bimii in tow.

"I just had an idea." Nyamirin spoke up once the first-year disappeared. "Instead of having the party in Yuto's room why don't we move it to the rooftop? Wouldn't it be grand to have the party underneath the stars?"

"Oh I like that idea rowr!"

"What a fabulous suggestion! I vote yes to that!"

"Mmhmm I agree."

"I see that majority rules therefore let's make the changes and get the rooftop ready. Also someone has to find either Bimii or Eruna to let them know that the location has been changed." Yuto stood up with a smile upon his face. "We're gonna make this party the best one yet!"

* * *

 _That night..._

I sat on the rooftop of Seisa's mansion with an arm draped over a bent knee, gazing out over the campus and beyond. The moon was partly covered by the clouds so there wasn't much illumination shining upon the much desolate campus as students hurried back to their rooms. While making my rounds I was upset that I couldn't stay longer and hauled ass back to the mansion.

 _Plik~ Plop~ Plik~ Plop~_

"Huh?" Gazing up a rain drop fell on the bridge of my nose before the skies began to fall, drenching my entire body. "Oh great...it just had to rain." Raising my hand I created my Ice Shield to catch the droplets and save myself from getting any wetter. "There that should hold out for some time..."

Pulling out my device I scrolled through the messages and clicked on one with an unknown number. I remembered reading it back when I was standing in the headmistress' office but I didn't get the chance to reread it thoroughly. I haven't shown it to anyone yet but I wanted to think about it a while longer.

 **As your reward for lovely display of entertainment at the exhibition match, I am a woman of my word. See if you can decipher this: Carnage Fall D3a. I'll be waiting.  
**

 _Leave it to her to send me hints that don't make sense...What am I supposed to do with this kind of garbage text?_ I growled, leaning back and thought about it, listening to the rain drops against the shield. Then my eyes lit up and I sat up, looking at my screen with wide eyes. "Wait...can it be...?" Typing in a number I pressed the calling button and put the device close to my ear.

"Hello?" A soft, hesitant voice spoke through.

"Hey Granny Irene, it's me."

"Oh, how are you dearie. I didn't expect you to call me, I'm surprised. Your voice is lovelier since the last time I heard it." The sweet elder's voice was like music to my ears. "How may I help you?"

"Sorry for calling late but I have two things I wanna ask you. First, could you find me a necklace chain? I got into a scuffle and the old chain broke."

"Oh no, I'm sorry to hear about that. No worries I may have just the thing. Swing by when you get the chance, I want to see just how big you've gotten too."

"I can't wait to see you as well, I'll figure out a time when I'm not busy. Second thing, do you know when the carnival's back in town?"

"The carnival?" Her voice went quiet for a minute before speaking back up. "Why I haven't been to that place since Iliya's death...my granddaughter really loved that event. I'm sure there's another time they're gonna be in town...oh where did I put those coupons?"

"Do you have a date of when they'll be there at your place?"

"You're in luck my dear, the carnival is on its way in a week from now. Our town has always been their last stop, how lucky are we!"

"Perfect, then I'll stop by a day or two before then. Mmhmm, thank you very much. Mmhmm, bye." I hung up and placed the device back into my pocket. _If memory serves me right...I'll find my answers at the carnival._

"So this is where you were Senpai. Be careful that you don't catch a cold."

"Seisa?" I turned to see her climb up, an umbrella in hand. Increasing the size of my shield I scooted over so she had room to sit next to me. "What's up?"

"Just wondering where you went, but luckily Kurumi caught sight of you before you disappeared."

"Mmm I see." I leaned back on my hands and stared up at the sky. "Looks like the rain won't be stopping anytime soon...I wonder how that surprise party's going..."

"That's not a problem." Seisa stood and merely glanced towards the sky. "Killing Art."

 _That is...!_ I looked as the sky cracked into many pieces, dissolving the rain clouds and revealing the plethora of stars. It didn't even take more than mere minutes to make the rain go away. "Your power. You actually used it."

"Naturally." She rolled up the umbrella since it no longer serves a purpose. "Now then, shall we go to that party? Eruna did invite us after all."

"Only if you want to go. I have no preference." I stood up as well, putting my hands in my pocket. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt since you cleared up the sky. We should enjoy ourselves whenever we can."


	14. Chapter 13: Treasure Hunting

**A/N** : Chapter 13 of _The Cold's Shards_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mikagura School Suite belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

Warning: This is a yuri story.

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Treasure Hunting**

 _The next morning..._

Seisa and I did make it to Asuhi's celebration party once she made the rain clear up, getting greetings from the other students and together we stared up at the stars with bright smiles on our faces. It wasn't my first time star gazing but that night the skies were as clear as glass. We could see the billions of stars hanging in the air and their beauty was mesmerizing. Even the air felt amazing, fresh and cool to the skin.

"Senpai, are you awake? It's time to get up."

 _Huh? That voice.._.Blinking slowly I looked up to see Seisa hovering over me, her mouth curled into a small smirk and the tips of her long hair tickled my nose. I was laying on her couch with one arm draped over my stomach, the other folded behind my head. Stepping back she watched as I propped myself up and looked around with a dazed expression on my face. _I'm not in my room? What even happened..._

"You stayed the night in my room after the celebration party." She informed me when I gave her a questioning glance. "You passed out so I thought it would be a good idea to let you stay instead of letting you go back to your room. It was getting late after all."

"So that's what happened..." I stood up and stretched, releasing a satisfying sigh once my shoulders popped. The ears on top of my head flickered and twitched before tilting forward. "Sorry for intruding then."

"Not at all, I'm glad you spent the night." She quickly pulled out her device and seemed to be scrolling through some messages. "Today seems to be one of the annual scavenger hunts for the students."

"Scavenger hunt huh?" I tilted my head to the side in thought. "When was the last time we did one of those?"

"It has been a long time since the school's hosted one but something tells me that this year's going to be lots of fun. Apparently this is the one year that we've had a lot of first years."

"Fun for those who are actually going to participate in it."

"The upper-level students are helping out just so you know." She said, giving me a pointed look. "Of course I'm sure they've got enough helping hands so you don't really have to participate."

"Rats, and here I thought I'd get a chance to be a kid. Then shall we get going?" I tilted my head towards the door. She smiled and walked up to my side, her device safely tucked away in her pocket. Exiting her house we walked side by side, our arms barely touching one another. "By the way I haven't seen Eruna around..." Her scent lingers but only faintly...

"Oh she left before I came to wake you up. She was really excited, almost as if she was a giant ball of energy."

"When is she never a ball of energy?" I chuckled, reaching up with a hand to scratch behind my ear to relieve an itch. "Did she request anything before she left? I was certain the winner of these scavenger hunts was going to be gifted a kind of reward."

"Well...she asked what I wanted in case she won the hunt." Seisa tapped her chin in thought. "So I told her a shoulder massage would be nice."

 _A shoulder massage? That seems like a really tame request...Knowing that first year I doubt it was her initial thought._ I shook my head in wonder as the sounds of fireworks being fired off into the air caught my attention. Students were already gathered, whispering and laughing with one another. Walking off to where there was shade I stood with my arms crossed over my chest.

"First year students, welcome to the treasure hunt!" Shigure announced from where he stood, dressed like one of those television hosts with a top hat on top of his head. "I'm just excited as you all to get this show on the road!"

"Can't anyone in this school besides Shigure emcee?" Eruna asked as she stood beside Katai, Tonkyun, Ursamaru, Asuhi and Bimii. "I mean really, he's like...everywhere and hosting everything!"

"We can't help it if Shigure is hugely popular among both boys and girls, ryui." Bimii replied, drawing a paw over his ear. "When the newspaper club ranked upperclassmen by their reliability, he won first place by a landslide, ryui."

"What about Seisa and Senpai? Didn't they take some sort of ranking within the poll?"

"Huh? You mean Naiteu-san? Well...Seisa was second on the poll and Naiteu-san didn't want a part of it, ryui." Bimii answered, fluttering his wings to stay afloat. "But I have no doubt they'll keep an eye on the competition to make sure no one breaks the rules or anything ryui."

"Alright ladies and gents, first I'll announce our thrilling pairings of fate! Please have your devices on hand!"

"Eh? Pairings? Why are we doing pairings?" Eruna questioned, tilting her head in wonder. "Has this always been a thing or something?"

"You didn't know? In the treasure hunt, you go around to checkpoints in teams of two." Usamaru explained to her, a smile upon his face. "Luckily for us the checkpoints are hosted by the upperclassmen."

"Looks like the pairings are picked!" Shigure smiled as everyone found their partners via their devices. Usamaru freaked out because he paired up with the very girl who traumatized him during his fight, Asuhi paired up with Katai, Tonkyun paired up with Haruka from the broadcast club and Asuna paired up with Otone. "Will there be dreams, hopes, or worldly goods waiting at the end of the path? Seek and you shall find it!"

"U-um...do you suppose this means we can start?" asked Katai as the other students looked at him with a confused expression.

"We should get going. It's quite painful watching Shigure's lip bleed from the thorn of his rose." Tonkyun spoke and soon the first years got started, disappearing into the forest. A finger tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see Seisa giving me a small smile.

"I'll get going and keep an eye on them. See you later then." She said and walked down the path, disappearing into the forest after the first years.

 _And now there's few of us left._ I thought, noting that Bimii, Shigure and Himi who was dressed as a nurse stayed behind. Letting out a sigh I was about to return in hopes of watching from the comfort of my own dorm room when something moved out the corner of my eye. It was a brief flash of red but there was no denying who I saw and where she was heading. Eyes narrowing with suspicion I slipped into the forest and disappeared.

* * *

 _Out in the forest..._

"Hmmmm...I wonder if this is the right way." Eruna commented, walking behind Otone while glancing at her device. The two of them were behind the rest of the competition so they haven't seen anyone on their route. "What do you think?"

"Fujishiro isn't going to work with you at all." Otone replied almost haughtily, sticking her nose into the air. She would've enjoyed the walk in peace and quiet, but that wasn't possible due to her partner. "I'm only in this because I have to be for my student record."

"I'm happy we get to be a team! I was hoping to talk more with you!" Eruna chirped with happiness, breezing past her partner's hostile attitude.

"E-Eh?! F-Fujishiro has no interest in the likes of you!" Otone stumbled over her words, a light blush tainting her cheeks.

"Then I'll introduce myself, so you'll be interested! I'm Eruna Ichinomiya, born in New York and raised in London! I weight the same as seven Tsugaru apples. Currently I'm living with Seisa-senpai who's in charge of the Going-home club!"

"Huh? Seisa?" Otone paused in her walking, finally turning around to look at her partner. "You mean the one who can reshape space at will?"

"Say what? She can reshape space?" asked Eruna, coming to a stop as well to converse in the conversation. This was actually a welcoming surprise since Otone didn't seem like the kind of person who would warm up on the spot. "How do you know she can do that? Were you stalking her?"

"Fujishiro saw her do it. It was raining heavily one night, she was sitting by someone else and when she said 'Killing Art', the sky instantly filled with stars. Now that Fujishiro thinks about it, the other person is probably the same one who challenged me at the exhibition match."

"Wait so you mean..." Eruna flashed back to the moment she noticed the clear sky and she smiled brightly. "Wow, Seisa-senpai did that for us...I gotta thank her for that then."

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

"Huh?" Both first years turned to notice a bush patch quivering. There was a brilliant flash of red as a pair of eyes showed itself. Taking precaution Otone quickly put herself behind Eruna, hands clasped in front of her chest. Not one to back down from a potential challenge, Eruna proudly proclaimed it to be a wild monster and jumped headfirst straight into the bush. When she reappeared she held up a mechanical robot that resembled Bimii.

"I am Mecha Bimii. I was sent to liven up the treasure hunt." The robot introduced itself, fluttering up and making sure both girls followed it. "Come, I will guide you to the checkpoint. You girls are very close to your first trial."

"Looks like you're more reliable than Bimii."

"Achoo!"

"Did you get a cold?" Himi asked when the original Bimii sneezed next to her. She frowned as she looked at the sky. "The weather isn't even that cold, still as sunny as ever."

"I'll be okay, don't know what that was to be honest." Bimii replied, rubbing his nose with a paw. _Someone must've been talking about me behind my back._

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

I caught up with Seisa, using the ears on top of my head as little satellites to locate her. She was concentrating on what was in front of her when I walked up and she almost jumped when I put a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. It's me."

"Oh Senpai, I thought it was that red-head. To be honest, I have a really bad feeling about her."

"That's the problem. I saw her walk into the forest right after everyone left so I figured I'd try to get to you before she does." _What lucky timing on my end, but why hasn't she shown herself yet?_

"I've been here for awhile now watching how the treasure hunting is going." Seisa told me, her head tilted to the side in wonder. "You'd think I would have been attacked by now."

"Mmmm, kinda suspicious isn't it?" I looked off to the side, crossing my arms over my chest. Suddenly my ears sprang up and the hairs were at attention. With a rigid body I could feel sweat starting to roll down my face, trying to pinpoint where the danger was without turning around. _What is this massive killing intent?! Where is she...where is she?!_

"Stay very still..." Lucoa mused from where she crouched from far away, a bow with an arrow notched at the ready held confidently in her hands. She grinned and aimed the tip at Seisa's head. The headmaster's daughter was still obvious but noticed that I had this weird facial expression on my face. That's when the red-head spotted her chance. "And...fire!"

 _Now!_

"S-Senpai!" Seisa yelped when I spun on the balls of my feet and tackled her to the ground, her eyes were wide with surprise. "What are you doing?!"

 _WHUMP~!_

"What the-?"

"Stay down." I spoke and stood up, eying the arrow protruding from the tree just inches from where we were standing. There seemed to be a note attached to the shaft and based on my senses, the attacker already fled. _Probably cursing the fact that she missed..._ Scowling I ripped it out of the tree, untied the note and unfurled it with my fingers, my eyes scanning the words in silence.

"Let me see that." Seisa stood up and held out her hand, waiting for me to place the note in her palm. Hesitating I complied and handed it to her. Looking over the notice she gazed at me with a thoughtful glance. "It seems she's on to us."

"It's most unfortunate but at least we're on the same page. Now we don't have to beat around the bush with her."

"But we have to do it with the others because they don't know her true intentions. We can't let speculations circle around." Seisa frowned, her minds circulating through all the possible scenarios. "This can get really messy if we aren't careful."

"It seems Lucoa isn't keen on exposing herself as the enemy just yet. She's probably playing with us at the very least. And we don't know what her motives are except for killing you..."

 _Beep~ Beep~_

"Hmmm. My device?" Rummaging around my pocket I pulled it out and looked at the new message. "'Eruna appears to have stopped moving and hasn't moved from her location after half an hour. Since you're out in the field, please go check up on her. I've given you her last confirmed coordinates.' Huh...did she lose her device or something?"

"What's wrong?" asked Seisa as I put my device away.

"It seems like a first year got lost. I'm gonna go and find her, hopefully she isn't causing too much trouble."I ran a hair through my hair with a huff before looking at her. "What will you do?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm coming with you."


End file.
